A Loud Splat!
by AdmiralDT8
Summary: After the events of No Such Luck, Lincoln sneaks away to hide into a cove to get out of the squirrel suit. While taking a breather, he accidentally slips into a watering hole that transports him into a new world. Now, with short term memory loss, Lincoln must make new friends and find a way back home. But in doing so, Lincoln learns to find himself again.
1. Lincoln's Fresh Start

It was a special day at the beach with the Loud Family. After Lynn Loud Jr. won her baseball game, the family went to the beach to celebrate. All the family members were having a wonderful time, except for one. Lincoln Loud, the only son of the Loud family, was at a far distance of the family wearing a squirrel suit. After lying to his family about being bad luck, they banned him from family activities, boarded his room, and left him outside. By using a squirrel suit to sneak back in one of Lynn's games gave him the chance to prove that he wasn't bad luck. The family was relieved, but the damage was far from done. Now that Lincoln is allowed back into family activities, he has to wear the suit.

Lincoln started to feel very hot inside the suit, so he looked around and found a small cove to hide in. "I'm gonna go for a walk!" he shouted to his family. "Okay son, but don't go too far." said Lynn Sr. "And keep that suit on!" said Lola. Lincoln, giving the impression of going for a walk, went the opposite direction of the cove just to keep his family from noticing him. As he came back, he still wasn't noticed. Some of the beach residents even questioned why someone would wear a mascot to the beach. Lincoln sneaked passed his family and into the cove. He takes off the squirrel suit and leaves it outside so his family doesn't worry too much.

The young boy, drenched in sweat, takes a moment to catch his breath and drinks some bottled water he stashed in the suit. The water was a little warm, but still drinkable. Lincoln then begins to feel gloomy. "This is my fault." he said. "If I didn't lie to them like this, and just said 'no' to Lynn, none of this would've happened." Lincoln began breathing at a steady pace and looks up to an open hole at the top of the cove. Rays of sun shine on the young boy, trying to give him a glimmer of hope. "I wish I could prove to them, and myself, that I'm so much more than just a good luck charm." he said to himself.

Then, Lincoln looks to another ray of sun shining on something unfamiliar. It was an orange squid still alive and barley holding on. Lincoln feels guilty seeing that creature dry up, "Aw, you poor thing." He carefully walks up to the squid, not wanting to scare it. He scoops it up in his hands and refills his heart with hope. "No creature deserves a fate like this." he looks outside the cove to find the ocean, but there was quite a distance and a chance to likely get caught by his family. "If I go out there without the suit on, they'll catch me."

Then, Lincoln sees water reflection from behind a rock. He finds a small watering hole that looks deep enough to connect to the ocean. "Hmm, what an odd coincidence." said Lincoln. He takes the orange squid and places it into the water. Feeling refreshed, the squid takes it time and swims around. Lincoln smiles and begins to feel hopeful that the squid gets to swim another day. "There's always hope." he said to himself. He decided to wait until the squid was out of sight. But what he saw next was very strange.

As the ripples of the watering hole eased up, Lincoln spots himself but as half human, half squid. His eyes were outlined bold black, his white hair was replaced with what looks like squid skin, but his signature look still remains with three small tentacles sticking out. His buck teeth looked more sharp along with three more sharp teeth. Lincoln looked with amazement and confusion. "I guess I'm hallucinating from the heat." said Lincoln. He takes some of the water and splashes it on his face. He starts to feel refreshed, but still sees himself as a squid hybrid.

As Lincoln takes a closer look upon his reflection, a squirt of orange ink shoots into his eyes. Lincoln gets on back on his feet, blinded by the ink, and unable to see where he's going. "Ah! My eyes. I can't see!" He stumbles around the cove hoping to find the way out. But then, he stubs his toe on a rock and stumbles back to the watering hole. He trips on another rock behind him near the hole,and falls into the water, which then begins to suck him down.

Lincoln held his breath as he continues to descend into the water. He now thought that since no one knew he went into the cove, he may never be found. As he descended into the waters, he began to feel something change inside him. He felt his eyes change, then he felt his ears change. It wasn't long before he felt his mouth, and his head changed as well. As Lincoln's body began to stop changing, a bright light surrounded him and even leaked into his eyelids.

The lights in his closed eyes diminished into darkness again, and Lincoln was able to breathe mysteriously. He slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a hospital bed. He sits up straight to find strange food and a drink on his left. "Where am I?" he asked to himself. "You're in the hospital." replied a mysterious voice. Lincoln turned to his left to find a red jellyfish wearing a nurse cap and attire.

Lincoln was at first startled. "Hello." said the jellyfish calmly. Lincoln then darted back slightly letting out a small scream, knocking over his food and beverage. "A talking jellyfish! Please, don't hurt me!" he screamed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy." said the jellyfish. Lincoln just sharply looked around for a way out, only to find a tentacle on his right eye. "What's on my head?" asked Lincoln. The jellyfish offered a mirror to Lincoln. "It's not as bad as you think. You're lucky you weren't hurt badly." Lincoln takes the mirror, only to find the results shocking.

Lincoln looks at himself to be his hybrid form of human and squid. "I'm half squid." he said. "Of course you are, just like everyone else in Inkopolis." said the jellyfish. "Inkopolis?" asked Lincoln. "That's the city that we live in. My name is Stingy, you were in pretty bad shape when you were brought here." replied the jellyfish. Lincoln was worried, "But I don't understand. How did I get here?" Stingy pointed to two creatures just on his right when a mysterious voice replied, "That would be us."

Lincoln looks to see an old homeless man creature along with another orange squid like creature just like Lincoln, only it was a girl. "Who are you guys?" he asked. "Allow me to introduce myself." said the old man. "I am Captain Cuttlefish, leader of the Squidbeak Splatoon." He then points to the girl and said, "And this is Citra, or as I call her, Agent 3." Agent 3 smiles at Lincoln and he smiles back. "What's your name young man?" asked Cuttlefish. "My name is Lincoln Loud." "Well then Lincoln, I want to say thank you for saving my life." said Agent 3.

Lincoln looks confused until he got a closer look. "You're the squid I saved in that cove?" he asked. Agent 3 nodded until Lincoln felt a sharp sensation in his head. "Easy kid." said Stingy. "Now what's the last thing you remember?" "I remember saving a squid from dying." said Lincoln. "Then, I got ink squirted in my eyes, and I blacked out. And when I woke up, I was in here." "So you don't remember where you entered the city from?" asked Agent 3. "No," replied Lincoln.

"Captain Cuttlefish, do you know how I got here?" Lincoln asked. "Unfortunately I don't." replied the captain. "I was out doing some food shopping and then went down the sewer line to my home. But before I could go any further, I heard a familiar noise outside. I saw Agent 3 along with you in squid form and then took you to the hospital." Lincoln had to stop him at that point, "Wait, did you say squid form?" Captain Cuttlefish nodded. "You are what's known as an Inkling: an evolved squid that has dominated Earth after rising waters wiped out all of humanity 1,000 years ago." Lincoln looked stunned. "As an inkling, you have many abilities that humans don't." said Cuttlefish. Lincoln felt impressed after hearing this.

"I'm sorry that I don't know how you got here Lincoln." said Cuttlefish. "But I'm truly grateful that you saved my friend's life without ever knowing her." Lincoln looked down with depression. "It's okay." Then, Agent 3 walked up to him. "But that doesn't mean we can't help you. You saved my life, so the least I can do is help you get around Inkopolis. If we find some way to get you home, I promise we'll get you there. Until then, you can stay with me and my team." "What do you say Lincoln?" asked Captain Cuttlefish.

Lincoln took a moment to think about this. "What to do? What to do? I'm stuck in 'Inkopolis' and I have no idea how or if I'm ever going to get home. I miss my family, and I can't imagine how much they'd miss me too. Then again, I'm stuck in a new city, with a new life. I did wish that I could prove that I'm more than a good luck charm. Maybe this is my chance. If I become a great Inkling, maybe I'll become a better brother to my family." Lincoln smiled and imagined hanging with Agent 3 and her team.

Lincoln carefully climbed out of his hospital bed and offered a hand shake to Agent 3. "I say, let's do it." Agent 3 smiled and shook Lincoln's hand. "Am I okay to leave Stingy?" he asked. "Sure, just sign these release forms." said Stingy. She gives him the clipboard containing the release forms, only for Lincoln to look dumbfounded that the letters looked almost completely gibberish. Agent 3 points to the line and Lincoln signs with his signature. Captain Cuttlefish gives Lincoln some attire that almost matches Agent 3's but with black and orange shoes.

Agent 3, Lincoln, and Captain Cuttlefish leave to hospital and step out onto the streets of Inkopolis. Lincoln gazes at the magnificence of the construction of the city. Some of the structures look like they're from Tokyo and New York City. "This place is amazing!" he cried. "I'm glad you like it." said Captain Cuttlefish. "What's that large fish hanging on the tower?" asked Lincoln. "That is the great Zapfish." replied Agent 3. "The Zapfish is the power source of our home. Without it, all the power in Inkopolis vanishes." "I'm gonna head back to my home, I'll see you later Lincoln. I might have something special for you." Captain Cuttlefish takes his leave back into the sewers, while Lincoln and Agent 3 look around the city.

Agent 3 was glad to show Lincoln around, "Inkopolis is one of the most famous places to host a tournament called 'Splatfest'." Lincoln was curious, "What's Splatfest?" "Splatfest is a huge celebration where we gather the best of the best to participate in Turf Wars. Turf Wars are competitions where teams of four go against each other and try to splatter our ink colors all across the arenas. The team with the most ink across the arena wins." "What happens if you get covered with the opponents ink? Won't you die?" asked Lincoln. Agent 3 shook her head. "We fight for fun in Inkopolis. And if we are splattered, we end up back at our spawn points unharmed." "Cool." said Lincoln.

Lincoln and Agent 3 head into Booyah Base, the main mall of Inkopolis. "Since I swiped away my food in the hospital, can we get something from the food court?" asked Lincoln. "Sure." replied Agent 3. They find a place called the Crust Bucket and order a couple of Crusty Seanwiches. Lincoln was impressed with their tastes. "What's in these things?" Lincoln asked the vendor. "It's an old family recipe." the vendor replied. Lincoln nodded at the mention of family.

Agent 3 and Lincoln shortly made their way to a shop called Cooler Heads. Agent 3 was a well known customer there, considering how much turf wars she won. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite customer. How are you doing today?" said the clothes vendor. "Hey there Annie, I like you to meet Lincoln Loud, a new Inkling to Inkopolis." said Agent 3. Lincoln waved to Annie and looked at her hairstyle, "Are you by any chance a descendant of a sea anemone?" Annie nodded. Lincoln took a good look around, but knowing he can't pay for anything, decided to look for future references. He spots a pair of aviator goggles with the strap the same color as Leni's hair. "I see you're interested in those goggles." said Annie. "Yeah, the strap reminds me of my sister's hair." Annie smiled, "Take them. It's on the house." Lincoln was surprised. "Thank you." he takes the goggles and puts them on. "They fit perfectly." said Agent 3.

The two exit the shop and explore more. "You know Agent 3, I would like to participate in the Turf War League. If I'm gonna be hanging with you guys, I should at least be a part of your team." said Lincoln. "That's a good idea Lincoln." said Agent 3."But, you can't go out there with out a weapon of course. I know just the place." the two head into another shop called Ammo Knights. "Sheldon, you in here?" Agent 3 called. "Just a minute." said Sheldon. He comes down from a ladder and sees Lincoln and Agent 3 at the counter. "Hello there, what can I do for you?" asked Sheldon. "Today is my first day of Inkopolis and I was wondering if I could participate in the Turf War League." said Lincoln. "Ah, first time playing turf war." said Sheldon. "The first rifle is free." He takes a rifle known as a Splattershot and gives it to Lincoln. He also gives him an ink pack for storing ammunition. "Not bad for a new Inkling." said Sheldon. "Thanks a lot." said Lincoln as he exits the store.

Now that Lincoln is equipped and ready for the Turf War League season, Agent 3 decided to take him to her apartment where she and her team reside. They head to an ordinary apartment complex, the hallways covered with ink and spray tags. "Sorry about the mess." said Agent 3. "No worries." said Lincoln. "My home is nothing compared to this place." "Is your home messy?" asked Agent 3. "Hard to tell, my family always makes a ruckus in our home." replied Lincoln. "How big is your family?" asked Agent 3. "I'm in a family of 13, the only son in the Loud family." said Lincoln. That answer made Agent 3's jaw drop.

The two Inklings reach the door and find two more Inklings watching TV in the common area. "Citra! You're back! Who's the new kid?" asked one of the Inklings. "Del, Ruta, this is Lincoln Loud. He saved my life so he's going to be a part of our team until he returns home." said Agent 3. Lincoln looked at Agent 3's roommates. Del is the oldest member of the team. He wears an old baseball cap and black and green headphones. He always wanted to be an expert sniper like his uncle so he's equipped with a charger. Ruta is the messiest member of the team. Her squid hair is much shorter than Agent 3's and wears a B-Ball headband. Her weapon of choice is the Roller because of her messy habits.

Del walks up to Lincoln and offers him his hand. Lincoln shakes it and Del says, "Welcome to the Citrus Bloopers. I'm Del." "And I'm Ruta." said Ruta as she offers a high five with her inked hand. Lincoln accepted it, despite the ink. "It's okay, you'll get used to her messy habits." said Del. "Come on in. Tell us how you got here." Lincoln felt included when he heard those words. "Well for starters, I'm was a human from a town from Royal Woods, Michigan..."

Lincoln began talking about his family to his new roommates. From his parents to his sisters in age order, to his pets and his friends. The Citrus Bloopers were amazed at how the human world behaved long ago. "That was amazing." said Ruta. "You're family is one of a kind." said Del. "I do hope you can return one day." "I just need to find out how I got here first." said Lincoln. Just then the TV played a song that caught Del's attention. He raced to the couch and smiled with glee. "They're on!" "Who's on?" asked Lincoln. "The one and only Squid Sisters." replied Del.

Lincoln looked to the TV to see two inklings dancing and singing side by side. The one that's lime green is named Marie and the other that's magenta is named Callie. Lincoln listened to their singing and music, he eventually began to dance like he would on one of the Dance arcade games. Del, impressed that he could dance, danced along with him. Eventually, Agent 3 and Ruta danced along with them. As the music video ended the four retired on the couch. "They were amazing." said Lincoln. "Despite being called Squid Sisters, they're actually cousins." "How do you know that?" asked Lincoln. "I'm a huge Squid Sisters fan." said Del in a quiet tone.

The day soon began to end and the team started to feel tired. Ruta, completely crashed onto the couch. Agent 3 went to her room to sleep. Del offered Lincoln to bunk in his room until he can return home. "Thanks for everything." said Lincoln as he drifted off to sleep. "You're welcome Lincoln." said Del. Later that night, Del woke up hearing Lincoln having trouble falling asleep. "Linc, you okay?" he asked. "Back home, I had a stuffed animal named Bun-Bun. He always helped me fall asleep." replied Lincoln. Del looked in his closet to find his stuffed sea urchin. "Here, think Urchie will help?" He gives Lincoln his Urchin and then he falls asleep again. Del smiled and went to sleep again.

The next morning, Lincoln wakes up to Del's alarm clock. Del and Lincoln yawned waking up their roommates. "Morning Lincoln." said Del. "Good morning Del." he replied back. The four roommates got together for breakfast where they discussed their plan for today. "Today's a big day Lincoln." said Agent 3. "How come?" Lincoln asked. "Because today marks the beginning of your training." said Ruta. "If you're going to be a battler in Inkopolis, you'll have to learn the basics of being an Inkling." Lincoln smiled and finished his breakfast.

At Sheldon's shooting range, Lincoln was at the ready with his splattershot. Agent 3 was at the lead with her team mates behind her. "Now Lincoln, if you are to be a battler, you must learn what it means to be an Inkling." Sheldon pulls out a chalkboard with the major facts of an Inkling. "Number 1, our abilities." Del began, "We Inklings have the ability to take form of squids. In our squid forms, we can swim fast and blend in our own colored ink. If we spray ink on walls we can swim up them as well." "And since we're mostly made of water, in squid forms, we can squeeze through fences, grates, and areas that are non reachable to ordinary humans." said Ruta. "And the best move we can do, is jump super high."

Lincoln was taking notes, learning more about Inklings. "Which brings us to lesson Number 2." said Del. "Our weaknesses. Water is the most well known weakness in all of Inkopolis. Since we're made mostly of water, coming into contact with it will dissolve us instantly." Lincoln wrote that down in bold caps. "Coming into contact with the opposing ink will make us explode." said Agent 3. "Another weakness in Turf Wars is falling off ledges." said Ruta. "If one of us falls, we instantly explode and return to our spawn points."

Lincoln nodded and took more notes on weaknesses. "But the most important rules in Turf Wars is to splatter the whole arena with our ink color, and get the highest score rankings." said Del. "We're given a certain amount of time in each battle, we make sure we splatter the opposing team in the process, and we keep our rankings high as long as we can." "Got all that Lincoln?" asked Agent 3. Lincoln finished up writing down in his notes and said, "Got it."

Now, Ruta takes out her roller and sprays orange ink across the shooting range. Del takes the form of a squid and shows Lincoln the Inkling's well known ability. Fascinated by this, Lincoln wanted to try. "Okay Lincoln, now concentrate." said Agent 3. "Feel the squid within you and swim." Lincoln closed his eyes and raced to the ink. As he jumped, he falls flat on his face. He didn't turn into a squid. "It's okay Lincoln." said Ruta. "You'll get it, eventually." "Until then, let's begin with basic battling." said Agent 3.

Throughout most of the day, Lincoln was training with the Citrus Bloopers. He shot ink from his blaster, threw ink bombs at dummies, dodged ink from his teammates a few times. He felt like he was getting close to swimming like a squid. "Whew, not bad for your first day of training Lincoln." said Agent 3. "Thanks, Agent 3." said Lincoln. "Usually, I don't get this fit back home." Then out of nowhere, the battle alarm goes off in Inkopolis. "That's our cue." said Del. "Let's get to Inkopolis Square." The team leaves the shooting range and head for the Square.

There, the Squid Sisters Callie and Marie were there to announce the beginning of today's battle. "Welcome Inklings of Inkopolis to today's battle!" announced Marie. "There's only going to be one Turf War battle for today, and we've selected two teams for this." said Callie. "Today's game is going to be the Citrus Bloopers against the Green Goopers." the two teams stepped forward and nodded with respect. "Isn't this exciting Lincoln? Your first battle!" said Ruta in excitement. "It's also our first battle since Citra left for a few days, and our last teammate went off to bigger and better things." said Del.

The two teams went to the warp pads to find themselves in separate locker rooms. The Citrus Bloopers prepared for the fight, while Lincoln was sitting in fear. Lincoln stared at his splattershot, and was worried that they might lose because it's his first battle. "There's nothing to fear, Lincoln." said Agent 3. "You're going to do great." Lincoln gave a small smile and got into his battle stance. "Let's do it." said Lincoln. But before he could exit, Del said two words that traumatized him back to fear. "Good Luck."

The team warped to their spawn point and find themselves in Urchin Underpass. Callie and Marie were seen above in the announcement booth starting the clock. The jumbo screen turns on and shows the whole map of Urchin Underpass with the time of 3 minutes. Lincoln was still a bit shaky, but Del placed his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. If you're in my sight, I'll protect you." "And me." said Ruta. "We all got your back." said Agent 3. Lincoln took a deep breath and got back in his battle stance.

As the buzzer goes off, the teams went all out covering most of the Underpass. Ruta is shown to make great time with her roller. Lincoln and Agent 3 were above ground covering up as much as they can with their ink color. Del took a sniping position overlooking the area where his team is. The Green Goopers were also doing the same thing their opposing team is. Lincoln felt like he was in a video game, but his fears made him feel like he was at war with a group of people he never met.

But his objective to win the turf war took over his fear, as he continued splattering the area, Agent 3 helped by taking out opposing players. Lincoln was able to do the same with Agent 3 and Ruta. Before they could make it to the next area of the Underpass, Agent 3 was splattered by a Gooper. Only for Del to snipe the Gooper back to the spawn point. The two continue their objective knowing that Agent 3 will return with them shortly.

Unfortunately, when Agent 3 re-spawned, Goopers were trying to cover their ink. So Agent 3 had to stay behind and splatter them back. Lincoln and Ruta were heading into Gooper territory and start splattering their ink all over their territory. Knowing that Lincoln and Ruta were there, Del had to change position so he could get a good view on them. Agent 3 held her ground near their spawning point. While Del was changing positions, Ruta was splattered by one of the Goopers. Lincoln felt all alone, but quickly knew that Del was watching him after he splattered orange ink near his position. But what Del didn't know was that he gave away his position to the Goopers and got splattered.

Now that Lincoln was alone, he continued to splatter orange ink at a slow pace. Then at the moment of truth, a Gooper appeared in front of him, and Lincoln splattered him as quick as he could. When he did, he cheered quietly. But he realized that his are was too quiet and he finished splatting the area. Then he realized that his team was in danger, and he raced off to his spawning point.

Lincoln looked on the jumbo-tron that he and his team have got 45 seconds left to win the battle. He had to act fast when he saw his team pinned down. Seeing his team's ink color, he jumped in the air. Then, out of nowhere, he turned into a squid. Lincoln felt like he was a speeding bullet running to aid his team. As he got close, he jumped out of the ink and splattered his opponents. Del, Ruta, and Agent 3 high five their team mate just as the timer went off.

The results were in, and the Underpass was covered with ink. Both coated with orange and green. The two teams stood by the jumbo-tron to see the results. It was a close call, but the Green Goopers won by 1.5%. Del smiled at their victory, along with Ruta and Agent 3. The Goopers cheered just as Agent 3 gave them a thumbs up. But when she turned around, Lincoln wasn't anywhere to be found. "Where's Lincoln?" she asked. "I think I saw him head to the spawn point looking upset." said Ruta.

Back in Inkopolis Square, Lincoln ran into a dark alleyway feeling upset. "No matter how much I try-" he said before he broke down into tears. Captain Cuttlefish came out of the grate finding the poor Inkling boy. "Are you okay there chum?" he asked. "Oh, Captain!" cried Lincoln. "I didn't know you were close by." Cuttlefish nodded. "Clearly, something's bugging you." He climbs out and sits next to Lincoln. "Tell me what's wrong."

Meanwhile, Agent 3, Ruta, and Del were looking around Inkopolis for Lincoln. They asked bystanders and shop-keeps, but they still struggled to find him. Eventually, Del finds Lincoln talking to Captain Cuttlefish. "Over here guys!" he called out. The three Inklings came to find Lincoln feeling a little better. "Why did you run off like that Lincoln?" asked Agent 3. "Because I thought I would be a bad luck charm to you guys." replied Lincoln. He tells the story of the events that happened before he came to Inkopolis. From coming to her sisters game, to lying about being bad luck, to being kicked out of the house, up to the point he was allowed back in while wearing a squirrel suit.

Del was a little upset, "That's terrible Lincoln. What kind of family does this?" "But that shouldn't matter." said Agent 3. "What matters is now! Lincoln, you're not bad luck, and it's not your fault we lost. We lost together, and when we lose, we train harder." "Besides, you changed into a squid for the first time." said Ruth. "That's quite an accomplishment." Lincoln smiled, remembering what he did. "Yeah, I did." "It's okay that you lost kiddo." said Captain Cuttlefish. "I've lost many matches during my youth, and over time I became a great battler in Inkopolis." "There's an old saying about failure." said Del. "Failure is the best teacher."

Lincoln stood up feeling better, just as the Green Goopers arrived. "Hey kid!" said one of the Goopers. "If this was your first match, I'm impressed that you got all of us at once." He offers his hand to Lincoln. "Looking forward to battling you again." Lincoln accepts his hand and shakes it. "And next time, I'll be ready." "Then, we'll have to be ready as well." said the other Gooper. The Goopers depart and Lincoln looks to his team with his head held high.

For the next few days, Lincoln and the Citrus Bloopers trained and bonded before the next turf war battle. While training, Lincoln learned different strategies to go against the opposing teams. He even made several modifications to his splattershot, increasing its rate of fire, accuracy, and damage rate at the same time. He practiced using splat bombs and hiding in the ink in his squid form. As he got used to his techniques, he knew it's only a matter of time to put them to use during battles.

Those techniques proved to be useful eventually. The Citrus Bloopers next match was against the Turquoise Tentacles. Two of their members were equipped with Ink brushes, the other two are equipped with ink chargers. As they fought in the arena, Lincoln used his techniques he made in the shooting range. He was able to fight off against them, scoring more points for his team. This gave Ruta and Agent 3 a chance to claim most of the territory. It wasn't long before the Citrus Bloopers were victorious for the first time in a long time.

The four teammates celebrated their victory in their apartment, with food called Schwaffles. "That was amazing Lincoln!" said Agent 3. "You sure gave those tentacles quite the surprise." Lincoln gobbled down his Schwaffle like it was pancakes. "What can I say, I'm the man with the plan." "Or in this case, the squid with a plan Inkin." said Del. "You don't mind if I nickname you Inkin?" Lincoln shook his head, "Not at all, Del." Then, there was a knock on the door. Agent 3 answered it revealing Captain Cuttlefish and two mysterious figures behind him. "Captain Cuttlefish. What are you doing here?" she asked. "I came to congratulate your teammate's first victory. Along with my granddaughters." he replied.

The two mysterious figures removed their large coats revealing to be Callie and Marie, the Squid Sisters. Del stood in shock and amazement. He didn't have the words to speak, he just pointed at the two singing sensations. Lincoln was surprised, "Captain Cuttlefish, are they-?" "Lincoln Loud, allow me to introduce my granddaughters, Callie and Marie, the Squid Sisters. The two cousins stood in their signature pose and said, "Stay Fresh!" This made Del collapse right in front of them.

Later that night, the team decided to turn in after Cuttlefish and the Squid Sisters left. Lincoln, now a full fledged Citrus Blooper, felt like he got his wish after all. He got a fresh start for a new life. But, still hopes of getting back home. He still believes that what transpired before all this was uncalled for, but he still loves his family very much and misses them every day. Before he could fall asleep, he finds a small length of thick strings. Remembering how he and Luna made accessories together, he makes one and ties it to his three tentacles on his head. "Dad, Mom, Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa, Lily, Charles, Walt, Cliff, Geo, Clyde, Ronnie Anne, Bobby, and Pop-Pop. Please don't worry, I'll find my way back home. I promise." And with that Lincoln falls asleep.

**Lincoln has gotten his wish. But they say: Be careful what you wish for. Because everything has a price. Now that Lincoln is in Inkopolis, he's doing well and will continue finding a way back home. If only he knew where to start looking.**


	2. Inkredible Friends

3 hours away from Royal Woods was a city called Great Lake City. In that city a family known as the Casagrandes resided in an apartment building with a convenience store on the first floor. In the Casagrande family, there was Hector and Rosa, the grandparents and owners of the store. There was Carlos Casagrande, along with his wife Frida, and his children, Carlota, Carlos 'CJ' Junior, Carl, and Carlitos. They also have two pets in the building, a dog named Lalo, and a colorful parrot named Sergio.

Recently, Hector and Rosa have received word from their daughter Maria that she has taken a job in the hospital in Great Lake City and she and her children are moving in with them. They were so happy, but Carlos and his family were concerned. "Are you sure her children will be okay?" he asked his parents. "Because we know how wrecked they are ever since..." said Frida before she cried her heart out. The children were quietly eavesdropping, but they couldn't hear clearly. For all they know, was that something really bad happened to their cousins.

Back at Royal Woods, Maria was all packed up and ready to go. But as she turned to look at her house, she knew it could be the last time she sees it. Her children Bobby and Ronnie Anne, that's right Maria Santiago was first a Casagrande before she had a family of her own. Bobby and Ronnie Anne got their suitcases packed up with frowns on their faces. Bobby just finished talking with his girlfriend Lori and took a deep breath. Ronnie Anne looked to him and shook his head, "Still no sign of Little Bro." With that being said, Ronnie Anne looked sadly to a poster of Lincoln Loud with the word 'Missing' on top.

-_Flashback_-

At the beach, the Loud family was still enjoying themselves. They turn their heads to see if Lincoln didn't wander off too far from their spot. And they find the squirrel suit near the cove. They assumed he was napping and just enjoyed the afternoon. By the time it was about to leave, Leni went to get Lincoln. "OM Gosh Linky, you look so tired." she said. "Don't worry, I'll help you." as she picked him up, something felt off. "Wow, Lincoln, have you been losing weight?" She gets no response and seats the suit into Vanzilla.

As the family returned home, it was night time, they all felt really tired and went up to bed. All except for 'Lincoln', but the family felt too tired to notice that they just brought the suit home. The very next morning, Luna woke up early to see that the suit was still in Vanzilla. So she decided to check it out. "Lincoln, are you okay, dude?" she asked. No response. "You know, it's not nice to ignore me like that bro." she said. Still no response. She shook the suit's shoulder only for the head to roll off. This shocked Luna with fear. Lincoln Loud wasn't in Vanzilla. "MOM! DAD!" she cried.

Lincoln's disappearance shocked the whole family. Leni felt really guilty, considering the fact that she brought the suit, and didn't think that Lincoln would still be in it. They asked around the neighborhood for their only son and brother. Rita called her father to ask for help. The daughters called their friends, and Lincoln's friends for help. One of those friends was Ronnie Anne Santiago. Hearing Lincoln had disappeared really got to her and Bobby. Bobby felt like he and Lincoln were like the brothers they never had. And Ronnie Anne had never been in a good friendship with Lincoln ever since she bullied him to get his attention.

The more time Lincoln spent missing, the more the family grew desperate. They called the police in hopes of finding their son. When the police told them why they weren't watching him every second, Lynn and Rita grew anxious. They knew if they told them their bad luck incident, they would be locked up and their children will go to either juvie or foster care. So they told a half truth and said that Lincoln wanted to go for a walk on the beach, and they accepted it. The police were more concerned that they would report him missing after almost 24 hours of being gone. So they kept a close eye on the Loud family.

After 3 weeks, the Loud family began to lose hope. All Lori does to cope with this is by asking her boyfriend if there was any progress. Leni made boys clothing matching Lincoln's size. Luna goes around singing the blues. Luan goes all mime around the house. Lynn, who hasn't shed a tear yet, swings her bat in the backyard to relieve the stress of her missing brother. Lucy spends most of her time in her coffin writing poetry about Lincoln. Lana looks to her animals with sadness. Lola looks to herself, in the mirror, with sadness. Lisa tried to configure her tracking device she implanted in Lincoln, but had no progress. And Lily just cried her heart out over Lincoln's disappearance. Rita was sitting in Lincoln's empty room crying as well. And Lynn Sr. was out on the porch reflecting all he has done to his son. "I failed as a father, and as a man."

-_Flashback end_s-

It has been 2 months since Lincoln disappeared from Royal Woods. And only 3 days since Maria announced to her children about her new job. The announcement had Ronnie Anne and Bobby devastated, because Bobby might never see Lori again until college. And for Ronnie Anne, the fact that Lincoln is missing, took a toll on her. Not being able to say goodbye to her best friend kept her from saying anything. All she did was cry until her mother comforted her by saying family is what they need now. And the Casagrandes want to be there for her in her time of need. She quietly nodded and hugged her mother tightly, Bobby joined in on the hug.

Before the Santiagos departed, Ronnie Anne took one last look at her house and her street. With tears in her eyes she quietly said to herself, "Good bye, Lincoln Loud." She got into her Mom's car, and the Santiagos were off to Great Lake City. Along the way, Bobby was Face Timing Lori about their announcement and she fell into despair. Both for her brother missing and her boyfriend moving away. But they soon agree that they'll see each other again when they go to college together. By the time he hung up, the family made it to Great Lake City.

The Santiagos were happy to see the family move in with them, but they wish that it could be on better terms. The Casagrandes were aware of Lincoln being missing and is taken a toll on Bobby and Ronnie Anne. The family gave the Santiagos a group hug before they could go any further. Ronnie Anne just hugged the family tightly. The Santiagos unpacked their stuff and had a tremendous dinner that Rosa prepared for them.

Later that night, Ronnie Anne was on the fire escape alone looking out to the stars. Maria entered Ronnie Anne's room, prepared by the Casagrandes, in hopes of comforting her daughter. "Honey, are you okay?" she asked. Ronnie Anne just quietly shook her head. "I miss him so much." Maria hugged her daughter tightly, "I miss him too." The two held their loving embrace until they saw a shooting star. "Make a wish sweetheart." said Maria. "I wish I could see where Lincoln is right now, and know he's doing alright." Ronnie Anne replied.

After the next few days in the city, Ronnie Anne, Bobby, and their cousins were preparing themselves to go to the Royal Woods Beach for the day. "Take care of her, Bobby." said Maria. "I will." Bobby replied as he hugged his mother. "Keep a close watch on your cousins, mija." said Carlos. "I will." said Carlota. The kids all get in the truck and drive off back to Royal Woods.

"So, what are you guys going to do when we get there?" asked Bobby. "I'm gonna work on my tan while I'm keeping an eye on Carlitos." said Carlota. "Me and Carl are gonna play pirates." said CJ. "Come on man, I want the ladies to notice me." said Carl. "Relax, Carl. I'll help you make sure of that." said Ronnie Anne. Bobby was still overwhelmed about the idea of going. The Royal Woods Beach was the last place Lincoln was sighted. He knew that he had to keep an eye on his family, to make sure that it doesn't happen to them.

The kids arrive at the beach and set up a spot. Bobby looked around to see nothing but clear blue skies and roaring waves. He took a deep breath and saw his sister and cousins settling in. "Don't worry." said Carlota. "We won't go far." Bobby felt depressed, "That's what they said before Lincoln..." Carlota had to do as much as she can to keep her cousin from going into a downward spiral.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne was keeping a close watch on CJ and Carl. Until she spotted old police tape near the cove where Lincoln disappeared. She decided to take a look for herself. Thankfully, CJ saw her going into the cove. He and Carl raced off to Bobby and told him. Bobby was shocked, he went into the cove with his cousins following him. "I hope I'm not too late." he said as he raced to the cove entrance.

Ronnie Anne entered the cove and found nothing. Only sun rays shooting down from above open holes of the cove. As she turned to leave the cove, she spotted something orange. She went to take a closer look and saw that it was orange ink. "How can there be orange ink?" she asked herself. "Were there detectives using pens with orange ink?" She follows the trail of ink to the watering hole where Lincoln fell through. As she stares into her reflection, she sees herself, except she looks like she has a purple octopus on her head. Her eyes are boldly outlined, and her teeth are sharp.

As she got a closer look leaning closer into the water, Bobby came into the cove. "Ronnie Anne. What are you doing?" he asked. But before she could answer, Ronnie Anne grip of the rim slipped and she fell into the water. Bobby saw her fall in and tried to get her out. But the suction of the water pulled Ronnie Anne deep into the water. "Ronnie Anne! NO!" cried Bobby. "What's going on?!" cried Carlota. "Ronnie Anne fell into a water hole and got sucked down!" replied Bobby. "I'm going in after her! You guys call Lori for help." Carlota nodded and went with her brothers.

Bobby jumps down and swims after his sister. But what they didn't know, was that just like Lincoln, they began to feel drastic changes within them. It started with their heads and worked their way down their heads into their bodies. Ronnie Anne kept her eyes shut and held her breath, while Bobby was swimming in after her. Before long, a bright light surrounded the both of them and then diminished into darkness.

Back in Inkopolis, Lincoln has been doing well with Agent 3, Del, and Ruta as their newest teammate of the Citrus Bloopers. Lincoln studied every basic turf war tactic, researched his teams weapons strengths and weaknesses, and memorized most of the turf war maps he played on for future plans. Thanks to Lincoln's efforts, the Cirtus Bloopers made the top 10 and are qualified to participate in the upcoming Splatfest.

Despite being qualified for Splatfest, Lincoln is being aware of how long he's been in Inkopolis. It has been two months since he arrived, the same amount of time he disappeared in Royal Woods. Lincoln grows very worried that if he doesn't find a way home in time, everyone he knew is going to believe he's dead. He stares at an ink coated piece of paper with his family's signature colors on them. "No matter how long it takes, I'm gonna find a way back home." said Lincoln. "There's always hope."

"Hey Inkin, how's everything?" asked Del. He sees Lincoln looking at his artwork and smiles. "Don't ever give up." he said to Lincoln. "You're not alone, because we're still helping you." Just then, Agent 3 and Ruta arrive back home from shopping for weapon upgrades, and searching for where Agent 3 and Lincoln entered Inkopolis. "Hey Lincoln." said Agent 3. "We're still trying to find your way home." Lincoln smiled, "That's okay, we'll keep trying."

Ruta places the weapon upgrades on the dining table. "Until then, we've gotta prepare for next turf war." she said, "A new team of Octolings have been formed and are planning to participate in Splatfest." Lincoln grinned, "So until we go up against them, we need to be prepared." Ruta nodded and took out her wrench. She began to tinker with her teammates weapons. "So Agent 3, what are Octolings?" asked Lincoln. "They're like Inklings, only with Octopus features on their heads." replied Agent 3. "Captain Cuttlefish knows more about them then I do. Maybe he'll tell you one day."

Over the next few days, the Citrus Bloopers were getting ready for their next match against the new Octoling team. Thanks to Ruta's handy work, Del's sharpshooting, Agent 3 and Lincoln's cooperative moves, the team feels prepared. After training, they all enjoy delicious meals so they can burn off more calories. Lincoln felt more helpful by giving his team defensive strategies to avoid getting splat.

As they were about to return to their apartment, they look to the jumbo-tron in City Square. They see their team's poster along with the Octoling's team called the Kraken Krackers. The Bloopers learn from the jumbo-tron that their match is tomorrow. Agent 3 leads the team home only for Lincoln to stare at the Krackers. One of their teammates looked oddly familiar. One female had dark tan skin, freckles on her cheeks, and sharp buck teeth, like Lincoln. Her signature color consists of purple, and her hairstyle is a pony tail with Octopus tentacles. Her hair is also covered with suction cups.

Agent 3 turned to see Lincoln a bit confused at the monitor. "Lincoln? Are you okay?" she asked. "That Octoling, she looks oddly familiar." replied Lincoln. Agent 3 looks at the monitor to see the girl too. "How familiar?" asked Agent 3. "Back home, there was a girl that looks almost like her, named Ronnie Anne Santiago." Del smiled, "Is she your good friend?" Lincoln misheard him and yelled, "She's not my Girlfriend!" Del raised his hands in a calm matter, "I said good friend, not girlfriend." Lincoln was embarrassed. "Oh, sorry." "It's okay." said Del.

Lincoln continued with his story, "Yes, she's a good friend to me, in her own way. When we first met, I was picked on by her. She's known to be the tough girl in my school, but I know she means well." Lincoln soon explains about his double date with Ronnie Anne and her brother, Bobby Santiago. How he set off Luan's pranks to save her when she was visiting. And how the two spent the night at Gus' Games-n-Grub during his school's Sadie Hawkins Dance.

The Citrus Bloopers were happy to hear the whole story. "Sounds to me like she's a great friend, Lincoln." said Ruta. "You guys could be more than that, but that's up to you to decide." said Del. Lincoln nodded, "I'm glad you guys aren't head over heels with me and Ronnie Anne, like my sisters." Agent 3 stepped up, "But we shouldn't let their team mate distract you. We have to be ready and vigilant against those Octolings." Lincoln smiled and looked back to the monitor just as it changed to an ad.

Meanwhile, the octoling who looked like Ronnie Anne was training in Sheldon's Shooting Gallery with her teammates. As it turns out, the octoling _is_ Ronnie Anne. After she fell into the watering hole, she was found by three octolings who recruited her as part of their team. Though when they found her she was in her octopus form and found that she crawled quite the distance. So like Lincoln, she doesn't remember how she got to Inkopolis either.

She took her blaster and began shooting targets, while performing parkour. "Look out Citrus Bloopers, here we come." she said to herself. "Impressive work Ronnie Anne." said Sheldon. "You seem to be getting better and better with your aim." "I'm just getting prepared for our first battle against the Citrus Bloopers." replied Ronnie Anne. "I have to remain vigilant for my team."

Sheldon smiled, "Well good luck to you. Because I've seen the Bloopers improve their tactics. Their newest teammate has been learning new ways to win matches." Ronnie Anne grinned, "Sounds like he has his work cut out for him." "Are you kidding me, he's 'the Man with the Plan.'" said Sheldon. Those words shocked Ronnie Anne with realization. "Who is the man with the plan?" she asked. "His name is Lincoln, he's their newest teammate." replied Sheldon.

After leaving the shooting gallery, Ronnie Anne remained in shock. She walked dumbfounded all the way back to her team's apartment. She couldn't believe it, all this time Lincoln has been in Inkopolis and she didn't know they're living in the same city. At the same time she had mixed emotions of happy and angry at the same time. Happy, knowing that her best friend is alive and well. Angry, knowing that Lincoln is alive and couldn't tell her. But she realized that if she doesn't know how he got to Inkopolis, then neither does Lincoln.

The next day, the Citrus Bloopers got ready for the next battle. Their battle was to take place in Saltspray Rig. The two teams spawned on opposite sides of the arena. Lincoln took a deep breath and looked to the other side of the rig. "It's time." he whispered. Ronnie Anne was on the other side breathing at a steady pace. "Keep an eye on the Blooper's new teammate Ronnie Anne." said her team captain. "I plan to." she replied.

The buzzer goes off and the teams begin claiming the turf. Del climbed up to a look out point to protect his team. Ruta was running as fast as she could with her roller. Lincoln and Agent 3 splattered on walls and out of reach turf until they can swim up in squid form. Ronnie Anne's team splattered ink together until they split up claiming a pathway individually. "Don't screw this up guys!" said the team captain. "This is our chance."

Ronnie Anne was a bit nervous, because her team captain was set to make sure that her team wins Splatfest. But she kept vigilant and continued shooting ink all over the rig. "If Lincoln's really here, then he would hesitate knowing I'm here." she said to herself. "Better not let my guard down."

Both teams were getting closer that Del was able to pick of the Krackers one by one. The only octoling he couldn't get was Ronnie Anne. She dodged Del's charger and hopped into puddles of her ink. Ruta was planning to cover her tracks as she jumped from one puddle to another. But Ronnie Anne splattered her before she could hit her with her roller. Agent 3 was able to get a few shots, but Ronnie Anne used one of her splat bombs to splat her too.

That just leaves two players in the center of the arena, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. Both players took cover and were about to jump out at each other. They sprayed ink but missed splatting one another. "You know, we don't have to splat each other." said Lincoln. "We would be wasting time, not claiming turf." "Then why are you going along?" asked Ronnie Anne. "You can never be too careful, you could get me while I claim your turf." said Lincoln as he plopped into his ink and performed a special move called the Kraken. Before he could hit Ronnie Anne, she grinned and said, "Don't even think about it Lame-o."

But that didn't stop Lincoln, he splattered her back to her spawn point. As he reverted to normal, Lincoln stood in shock and glee. "Ronnie Anne, she _is_ here." That's when Ruta and Agent 3 arrive. "Lincoln! Time's running out." said Agent 3. "Let's not disappoint the inklings watching." Lincoln grinned, "There's only one I won't disappoint, and she's playing against me." said Lincoln as he charged his way to the opposing team's side. "Guess his friend is here." said Ruta. "Let's go." said Agent 3."

For the rest of the match, both teams were at a stand off with each other. But in the end, one team was victorious: The Citrus Bloopers. Ronnie Anne was impressed but still upset. Not because her team lost, but because that her friend was doing well and didn't tell her.

The team celebrated their victory in Inkopolis Square. There, Lincoln found Ronnie Anne wandering on her own. "Pleas excuse me, guys." said Lincoln as he walked to his friend. "Ronnie Anne, is that you?" Ronnie Anne stared at the inkling Lincoln. "Is it really you Lame-O?" she asked. Both of them nodded at each other simultaneously. Then, Ronnie Anne tackled Lincoln to the ground. "I can't believe it! You're here!" she cried. Then, she started hitting Lincoln. "You're such an idiot Lame-o! Do you have any idea how long you've been here?!" Lincoln nodded, "Two months."

Ronnie Anne kept beating on her best friend. Ruta wanted to stop her, but Del kept her from getting closer. "If this is her way of letting out frustration, let her." he said. The beating stopped when Ronnie Anne started shedding a few tears. "You've been gone for a long time." Lincoln didn't say anything, because he knew she was right. "Your family, your friends, everyone is worried about you. I never thought I'd see you again."

Lincoln looked to Ronnie Anne and saw first hand how hard his disappearance was hurting everyone he cared about . Then out of nowhere, he embraced her in a strong hug, knowing that she needed one. She didn't ask for a hug, but she accepted it. "I'm sorry, Ronnie Anne. And believe me, I've been trying to come home. But I don't know how or where I came to this city from." Ronnie Anne soon perked up and broke out of the hug. "Neither do I." said Ronnie Anne. "Guess I now understand why you've been gone so long."

Lincoln smiled, "Well since your here, you're more than welcome to stay with us if you like." Ronnie Anne smiled back, "Thanks Lame-O, my captain let me go because of our loss." Along the way back to the apartment, Lincoln introduced her to Agent 3, Del, and Ruta. She enjoyed their company and they enjoyed knowing how she and Lincoln started. "You have a tough way of getting his attention, Ronnie Anne." said Del, "But you're still a good kid. That, I can appreciate." Ronnie Anne smiled, "Thanks, Del. I'm just so happy that Lincoln is alive and well."

Ronnie Anne then asked Lincoln, "How did you find Inkopolis?" "Well to tell you that story, I have to tell you a story before all this." replied Lincoln. He told Ronnie Anne everything that happened to him. From going to Lynn's game, to lying to his family, to being kicked out of his room and house, leading up to his new adventure in Inkopolis. Ronnie Anne was upset at his family, but Lincoln told her to let it go. "It happened a long time ago, it doesn't matter anymore." Lincoln said calming his friend down. Ronnie Anne took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

But then, Ronnie Anne remembered something life changing. "Can me and Lincoln have a moment alone?" she asked the Bloopers. "Sure." said Ruta, "There's a roof access just down the hallway." The two kids climb up to the roof and gaze upon Inkopolis at night time. "What's wrong Ronnie Anne?" asked Lincoln. Ronnie Anne took a deep breath and spoke to Lincoln, "Something happened to me, Bobby, and Mom while you were gone." Lincoln looked concerned, but was ready to hear what she had to say.

"Me and my family moved out of Royal Woods and into Great Lake City." Ronnie Anne said without hesitation. Lincoln was shocked, "When did this happen?" Ronnie Anne walked to the edge of the roof and continued her story. "It happened almost a week ago. Mom got a better paying job as a nurse at Great Lake City, and my extended family was offering a place back into their home. At first she didn't think that it was right. Considering what me and Bobby were going through, because of you."

Lincoln shrugged in understanding and continued to listen. "But my family wanted to be there in my time of need. And I believed that she was right. So, we left for Great Lake City, and my extended family prepared my own room for me." Lincoln smiled, "Sounds like quite the family. Who's in your extended family?" "My grandparents, my Uncle Carlos, my Aunt Frida, and my cousins Carlota, CJ, Carl, and Carlitos." Ronnie Anne replied.

Lincoln looked to the stars and said, "Sounds like you've got a big family that loves you." Ronnie Anne smiled, "Sometimes a little too much." The two exchanged a few laughs until Ronnie Anne looked down. "Is everything alright?" asked Lincoln. "Everything is better than alright, Lame-O." replied Ronnie Anne. "You're here, alive and doing well. It's like you're back from the dead. You have no idea how much this will mean to everyone. What it means to me. I don't often say this much, but I missed you." Lincoln looked to see that Ronnie Anne was staring into his eyes. "I missed you too Ronnie Anne." he replied back.

Before anything could happen next, Del knocked onto the door and the two quickly backed away from each other. "Hey guys, the Squid Sisters are talking about the Kraken Krackers on the news." he said as he retreated back to the apartment. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne followed him down. When they got to the living room, they hear that the Krackers were disassembled. Ruining their chances from Splatfest qualification.

"Looks like you'll have to find a new team to battle with." said Agent 3. "Don't sweat it." replied Ronnie Anne. "I'll find a new team." Just then, a knock came to the door. Ruta opened it to reveal two of Ronnie Anne's old teammates. "Camo, Otto, I take it you heard the news?" she asked. "Yes." replied Otto. "And we were wondering if you would like to be our new team captain." "You demonstrated true sportsmanship, and didn't give up even though we lost." "What do you say?" asked Camo.

Ronnie Anne looked to Lincoln, and he nodded in agreement. "I accept," she replied. "On one condition..." Camo and Otto look with concern. "We do this honorably, respectfully, and always have fun." The two octolings raise their hands for a team high five. "Deal!" they both said. Ronnie Anne slaps their hands and the group leave to discuss future plans. "See you some other time Ronnie Anne." said Lincoln. "Come find me at Sheldon's Shooting Gallery if you're up for a round of target practice." Lincoln waved goodbye and said, "I will."

But before she could go any further, Ronnie Anne raced back to Lincoln and gave him another hug farewell. "Didn't see that coming." said Lincoln as he broke away from the hug. "Don't get used to it Lame-O." said Ronnie Anne. The two teams part ways, and prepare for a good night's sleep. Lincoln and Del were about to turn in tonight. "I'm glad your friend is in Inkopolis now." said Del. "Me too." replied Lincoln. "Something tells me that our next match between us and her team is going to be a lot more fun." said Del as he falls asleep. "So do I, Del. So do I." said Lincoln.

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Inkopolis, a mysterious figure came out from a closed sewer pipe. The figure is also an octoling with green ink as his signature color. The octoling looks up to Inkopolis and said, "Don't worry, Ronnie Anne. If you're truly here, then no matter how long it takes, I will find you." The octoling reveals himself to be Bobby, in octoling form. He takes careful steps, trying to remember where he entered the city, and where he needs to be when he returns with his sister.

**Looks like Ronnie Anne and Bobby made their way to Inkopolis. Ronnie Anne may not remember where she entered the city of Inkopolis, but she's not alone. Now all Bobby has to do is find her sister. And if he's lucky, he will find Lincoln too. But I'm grateful to give Ronnie Anne her own team of Octolings, while Lincoln is looking forward to some friendly competition against her best friend. What does the future have in store for these two? Find out when we return in A Loud Splat!**


	3. Agent's of Inkopolis

Lincoln Loud, once an ordinary eleven-year-old boy in Royal Woods, is now a rookie battler Inkling in the world of Inkopolis. He and his team, the Citrus Bloopers, have recently qualified themselves to compete in the big Splatfest tournament. Every day, they trained in Sheldon's Shooting Gallery, and battled in all the arenas in the city. And every day, the team continues to hold their spot in the top 5. Then one day, Lincoln finds his old best friend Ronnie Anne during one of his battles.

Ronnie Anne came to Inkopolis by accident in hoping to find her best friend. And she got more than what was bargained for. She became a battler, created her own team, and found her best friend in the process. She thought she could make him hesitate on their first battle, but lucky for Lincoln, he splat her before he could hesitate.

Ever since they found each other, the two friends compete in Sheldon's Shooting Gallery, dance to the Squid Sisters' music, and face off against each other in King of the Hill battles. Mostly, Ronnie Anne holds the Hill. But there were times that Lincoln Loud was able to beat her. The two have never been so happy to be together again.

Even though he keeps losing in target practice, Lincoln Loud was grateful that it was Ronnie Anne beating him. He felt like home was getting closer to him than before in the last two months. Ronnie Anne however, felt like her broken heart has been rebuilt. The sight and sound of her best friend, Lincoln Loud, helped put the pieces back together again. Both of them really missed each other, that they couldn't stop smiling at one another. "One day, I will beat you at target practice, Ronnie Anne." said Lincoln. "Just try, Lame-O. Until then, I'm number one here." grinned Ronnie Anne.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Inkopolis, Bobby continued on his quest to finding his sister Ronnie Anne. As he traveled to a nearby clothes shop, he takes notice of his new appearance. He becomes shocked to know that his entire appearance changed into an Octoling. "What happened to my head?" he said. He spots a traveling Inkling and grew afraid. "Have I been transported to another planet?" He kept a great distance from the Inklings and found old clothes, a pair of flip flops, and a pair of sunshades. He kept himself hidden in a cardboard box and shivered in fear. Without his family, or his friends, he felt completely alone in the strange new world. "Where are you Nie Nie?" he cried to himself.

After another one-on-one fight against each other, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne began to walk in Inkopolis Plaza. "Great match, Ronnie Anne." said Lincoln as he friendly punched his friend. "Back at ya Lame-O." replied Ronnie Anne as she punched harder. "Though it is a shame that you and your team won't compete in Splatfest." said Lincoln. "I don't need a tournament to know that I can beat you Lincoln." said Ronnie Anne. "Come on, I beat you the first time." replied Lincoln. "You got lucky that time, Lincoln."

Agent 3 walked up to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne with different attire. She is shown to be wearing a headset with a pair of earpieces with large pointed shapes jutting out to the sides connected by two thin bars that curve around the back of the head. The shapes on the earpieces are flat triangles, despite appearing conical from the front. The headset is mostly black with small sections of lime green on the earpieces, which also have glowing blue lights. Her Jacket is form-fitting and black with a large collar and a bright yellow safety vest worn on top; "crab bubbles" lining the inside of the jacket keep it light yet capable of retaining heat. Her shoes are a pair of black sneakers with lime green accents.

"Hey Lincoln." she greeted. "Hey Agent 3, what's with the new outfit?" asked Lincoln. "Remember when Captain Cuttlefish said he might have something special for you?" asked Agent 3. Lincoln nodded, "Yes, I do." "Well today is the day, Lincoln. Captain Cuttlefish needs my help, and he requested me to get you too." said Agent 3. Lincoln felt goosebumps in his squid skin. He felt a tremor of excitement flow in his chills, and followed Agent 3 to the entrance to Captain Cuttlefish's home.

Before they could go any further, Ronnie Anne stopped them. "Where are you guys going?" she asked. "Sorry Ronnie Anne, that's classified." replied Agent 3. "If Lincoln is going to go, then so should I." said Ronnie Anne. "I lost Lincoln once, I won't leave him alone again." Lincoln was touched, Ronnie Anne didn't want to let him go off on his own. Especially, for what sounds like an amazing adventure. "Let her come, she's my best friend." he said. Ronnie Anne smiled at his suggestion, making her feel useful. Eventually, Agent 3 caved in. "Alright, follow me you two." she said as she pointed to Cuttlefish's manhole cover.

The three battlers climbed into Captain Cuttlefish's sewer entrance and head into a world called Octo Valley. "Wow, what is this place?" asked Lincoln. "Welcome to Octo-Valley." said Agent 3. "Where our good friend Captain Cuttlefish resides." The three spot the old Captain near a broken snow globe and make their way towards him. Lincoln was at first happy to see him. But as he turned, to Ronnie Anne and Agent 3, he saw worried looks on their faces. It was as if something was wrong.

Back in Royal Woods beach, Carlota, CJ, Carl, and Carlitos were waiting anxiously for help. Shortly after Bobby left, Carlota called his girlfriend Lori and told her to come to the beach to help him. Lori was suddenly scared out of her mind. Not only is Bobby and Ronnie Anne in danger, but the fact that they are on the same beach Lincoln Loud disappeared. She recruits all of her sisters for help and they get into Vanzilla. As they rode to the beach as fast as they could, Lincoln's first best friend Clyde McBride followed them shortly after on his bike.

Some of Lincoln's sisters were still under the weather. Lincoln's disappearance have taken its toll on the ones who he grew close to. Luna was riding shotgun looking outside. "Are we going to find him?" Lori shouted, "Of course we will! We've got to rescue Boo-Boo Bear!" "If Lincoln fell into that watering hole, than there's a chance Bobby and Ronnie Anne might not come out either." said Leni. "Don't Say That!" screamed Lori. In the back of Vanzilla, Lynn kept a secure grip on her dufflebag she brought with her. She didn't want anyone else looking in her bag. But no one else bothered to check since it didn't matter to them.

The Loud sisters make it to the beach and hop out of Vanzilla. Carlota and her brothers meet the Louds and explained the situation. "Ronnie Anne just wandered into that cove." Said CJ. "Then out of nowhere, Bobby said that she fell into the that water hole and was pulled down by a mysterious force." Lucy popped up behind Carlota scaring her. "Wicked." "Then, Bobby jumped into the water hole soon after I called you." Lori was scared, she didn't want to lose Bobby like she did to Lincoln. "We got to help him!" she cried. Luna, Lana, and Leni were still under the weather, but they still went along only to keep from Lori crying her heart out.

The Loud sisters gather some rope from Vanzilla, and Lori ties herself to the end. She jumps into the water hole to try and find Bobby and Ronnie Anne. But then, the mysterious force pulls her and her sisters into the hole as well. Some of them were hit on the head by the rocks along the way. Just then, Clyde comes into the cavern. "What happened?" he asked the Casagrandes. "Bobby's girlfriend and her sisters were pulled into that hole." Said Carl. Scared that he might lose his crush Lori, Clyde foolishly jumps into the watering hole after them. The Loud sisters eventually lose grip of the rope and unknowingly split up.

Back in Octo-Valley, Lincoln introduces Captain Cuttlefish to Ronnie Anne. "A real pleasure to meet you ma'am." said Captain Cuttlefish. Ronnie Anne shook his hand and he showed her around his home base. Ronnie Anne took another glance around to see more of a clutter the Captain is. "Please forgive me, I don't get a lot of visitors around here." he said.

"Since you two are here, I want to talk to you about a crew called the Squidbeak Splatoon." Captain Cuttlefish began. "Before the Great Turf War, 100 years ago, Inklings and Octarians were at peace. That is, until sea levels began to rise again. This tragedy forced the Inklings and Octarians to fight against each other over the remaining territory." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne sat down and listened to his story with interest. Every event they heard was amazing to them, up to the point when he recruited Agent 3.

"Then one day, the Great Zapfish was stolen by my old enemy." said Captain Cuttlefish. "Who is it?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Today, he goes by the name DJ Octavio, leader of the Octarian Army." Agent 3 then talks about her adventure in recovering the Great Zapfish and securing peace in Inkopolis. Then, she points what looks like a broken snow globe. "Now, the Octarians have freed Octaivio and escaped." said Captain Cuttlefish. "It all happened one day when I went out to see the last Splatfest tournament. I watched as my granddaughters competed against each other. And then, after Splatfest was over, I found that Octavio escaped while I was away."

"Now I'm worried that Octavio is planning on stealing the Great Zapfish again. And this time, I think that an old captain like myself, and three agents aren't going to be enough against the Octarian Army." Agent 3 points to Lincoln, "That's where you come in." Lincoln felt surprised, "Me? But why?" "I've seen how well you battle in turf wars." said Captain Cuttlefish. "You know how to come up with incredible strategies against the other team, and you know how to collaborate with your teammates. The true qualities of a captain."

Lincoln Loud looked to his hands and had the best feeling he could imagine. The feeling of being someone important. He thought back to his wish when he was sad and alone. Then, he never thought that he would never feel this happy again. He got his wish, and was asked to help Inkopolis in his way. He looked up to his friends with the smile on his face. The same smile that he showed when Agent 3 gave him a chance to learn the ways of Inkopolis.

"Will I get to be a hero?" asked Lincoln. "In a way, you will. But not publicly." said Captain Cuttlefish. "When I defeated Octavio, I thought I would be a hero too. But, I was asked to keep this a secret." said Agent 3. "Because if Inkopolis found out that Octavio stole the Zapfish, the chance of achieving peace between Inkling and Octarians would be lost." Lincoln took another minute and said, "I'll do it. For Inkopolis, and until I can find a way to get back home." Ronnie Anne walked up to her best friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Captain Cuttlefish was so happy to hear Lincoln accept his offer that he had to hug him. "I'm so happy to hear that from a young teenager like yourself." Lincoln, and Ronnie Anne hearing his statement, gave a shocked look. "How old exactly?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Knowing that you look more human than squid, you and Ronnie Anne are at the age of 14 years old in Inkopolis." replied Agent 3.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, stood in shock with their jaws hanging down from their mouths. "Lincoln/Ronnie Anne, you're fourteen?!" the two hybrids asked each other. They soon regain their composure and smiled. "Cool." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne at some point wondered what it felt like to being a teenager. Now they know it's not as bad as they think, because they still act like themselves as kids.

Lincoln turned his attention to Captain Cuttlefish and said, "I'll gladly join the Squidbeak Splatoon, on one condition." "What would that be Lincoln?" he asked. "Ronnie Anne and I work together, as a team." Captain Cuttlefish and Ronnie Anne were surprised on his terms. Ronnie Anne didn't expect to be invited to Lincoln's secret team. And Captain Cuttlefish never had any record of an Octoling joining the Squidbeak Splatoon.

Knowing that the two are inseparable, even on opposite teams, Captain Cuttlefish could help but smile with pride. "Alright, but that is up to her to decide." he said. "What do you say, will you help Lincoln and Agent 3 protect Inkopolis?" Ronnie Anne took some time to think. She now realizes that the world of Inkopolis is a very big place. And if there's any possible chance of getting back to Royal Woods, it's by helping the people she began to get acquainted with. She smiles to the three and said, "Count me in! After all, you can't rely on just Lame-O here to protect Inkopolis alone."

Lincoln chuckled at his friend teasing her and nodded, "You're right, you're going to need a Man with a Plan, and an expert shooter to protect Inkopolis." "Wonderful." said Captain Cuttlefish. "As of today, Lincoln Loud you are Agent 4, and Ronnie Anne, Agent 5. Me and Agent 3 are going to go explore the other side of the world in hopes to hear any word of Octavio's presence. While you guys stay with Agents 1 and 2 to keep an eye out for anything suspicious in Inkopolis."

Lincoln got curious, "Who are Agents 1 and 2, Captain?" "That would be us." said what sounded like Agent 1. Then, two vaguely familiar Inklings appear from behind Cuttlefish's bulletin board. Agent 2 comes out wearing the same colored outfit as Agent 3. Agent 1 waved hello to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, and Ronnie Anne waved back. Taking a good glance at Agent 1 and 2, Lincoln stood with belief that he saw them somewhere before. "You two look familiar, have we met?" he asked.

Both agents posed like the Squid Sisters and asked him, "Does this answer your question?" Lincoln then looked with amazement as if he saw his idol Ace Savy. "Callie and Marie! Good to see you." he said. "Who are they?" asked Ronnie Anne. "They are Captain Cuttlefish's granddaughters, they are also known as the Squid Sisters, the famous dancing duo in Inkopolis." said Lincoln. "And despite being called Squid Sisters, we're actually cousins." said Marie. Ronnie Anne shook their hands with a genuine smile.

Captain Cuttlefish then gave Lincoln and Ronnie Anne some familiar equipment. "Here you go agents. These will help protect you from Octarian ink." He gives Lincoln and Ronnie Anne the same attire as he gave Agent 3. Then, Cuttlefish gives Lincoln a modified Hero Splattershot, and a Hero Charger to Ronnie Anne. "These are your weapons." Lincoln was amazed with the colors of his newly claimed weapon.

"This is awesome. Think it'll splatter twice as fast?" he asked. "These will assist you on your mission to stop the Octarians from obtaining the Great Zapfish." said Captain Cuttlefish. "Just let them try to come after me." said Ronnie Anne. Feeling the charger in her hands made her excitement flow through her veins. She couldn't help but wait to defend Inkopolis with her Hero weapon.

After Captain Cuttlefish packed up his bags for the long trip, Lincoln was concerned about what would happen next. If Agent 3 is leaving to secretly protect Inkopolis, that would mean the Citrus Bloopers would be disqualified from the Splatfest tournament. Ronnie Anne looked to her best friend and decided to talk to him. "What's wrong Lincoln?" she asked. "Does this mean the Citrus Bloopers are disqualified from Splatfest for lack of attendance?" he asked her. "Don't worry about it." said Callie. "Since this will be your first Splatfest tournament, we can make sure your team stays qualified." Lincoln smiled, "Thanks Callie."

And so, Cuttlefish and Agent 3 were about to head out. The Squid Sisters said goodbye to their grandfather and told Agent 3 to look after him. "We'll be waiting for you when we return." Lincoln told Agent 3. "Don't worry, we'll be back in time for Splatfest." she said. "You and Ronnie Anne are going to make great agents of the new Squidbeak Splatoon." The two wave goodbye as they transport away from Octo Valley, leaving Callie, Marie, Ronnie Anne, and Lincoln alone.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Let's go explore the Octo Valley for Octavio." said Marie. "He's bound to be around somewhere." The four agents set off into the Octo Valley to find their missing prisoner. Along the way, they come across Octarians closing in on them. "Here they come." said Marie. "Attack!"

The Octarians gave it their all, attempting to splat the four agents. But Lincoln and Ronnie Anne dodged at the right moment, just to splat them out of the arena. The fight felt like it was easy for the Squid Sisters, but Ronnie Anne and Lincoln thought otherwise. Just then, an Octostriker appeared out of nowhere and attempted to strike very close to the four agents. The missile split them apart into two teams. One of them was the Squid Sisters, and the other was Lincoln and Ronnie Anne.

They were covered in Octarian Ink, but not enough to be splatted to a spawn point. Both Lincoln and Ronnie Anne felt like they were carrying excess weight being covered in ink. "I can barely move." said Ronnie Anne. Lincoln took his hero splattershot and shot his ink on the ground and blended in to recover form the attack. Ronnie Anne did the same thing with her hero charger.

Once they've recovered, they watched as the Squid Sisters performed a technique called Charge-N-Roll. Callie,in squid form, positioned herself onto Marie's charger and as she fired, Callie flew and splattered the Octostriker. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Then the Octostriker attacked the Squid Sisters separating them from each other.

That's when Lincoln and Ronnie Anne came up with an idea. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ronnie Anne asked. Lincoln smiled, "Let's try their technique." Lincoln turns into his squid form and jumps onto Ronnie Anne's charger. Ronnie Anne fires at the striker hoping for Lincoln to splat it, but Lincoln was going too fast to change back into his Inkling form that he was splattered on the striker. Fortunately, their efforts caused the Octarian to be splattered out of the arena.

Lincoln fell to the ground nearly splattered himself, feeling quite dizzy from the technique. Ronnie Anne, Callie and Marie finished off the last of the Octarians and went to Lincoln's aid. "Lincoln, you okay?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Yeah. I think so." said Lincoln holding his head. "That kind of technique takes practice before it can be performed on the battlefield." said Marie. "Yeah, I should know." said Callie. "I hurt myself multiple times before I perfected it." Lincoln smiled at Callie's statement and they shared a good laugh.

The four agents return to Inkopolis after a long day and decided to go home. Just then, Otto and Camo arrive to give Ronnie Anne bad news. "Ronnie Anne, our place is being fumigated if barnacles, and now we don't have a place to stay." said Camo. Ronnie Anne was a bit upset, but Lincoln wouldn't have it. "If you guys don't have a place to stay, you can always come to the Citrus Bloopers' until you get your place back."

Ronnie Anne, Camo, and Otto were surprised. "You sure?" asked Camo. "Aren't you concern that we might take up too much space?" Ronnie Anne smiled, "You have no idea what his life is like in Royal Woods. We'll take it Lincoln, just until we get our place back." The group heads back to the Citrus Bloopers apartment, finding Del and Ruta watching TV. After explaining the situation to the two, they agreed to let the Octolings stay.

"Where's Citra?" asked Ruta. Knowing that their mission is a secret, Lincoln had to tell a half truth. "She's helping the community by looking after elderly folk in Inkopolis." he said. "She should be back in at least a week." "But what about Splatfest?" asked Del. "She said she'll be back before Splatfest begins." said Ronnie Anne. Del smiled, believing them. For the rest of the night, the Inklings and Octolings spent the rest of the night chatting and dancing to music.

Meanwhile, back in the outskirts of Inkopolis, Bobby was still in the cardboard box he was hiding in. His fear of being in a strange new world diminished and was replaced with the thought of finding his sister. "I can't just sit here in fear, and hope for Ronnie Anne to find me. I have to find her, whatever it takes." he said to himself. He carefully stepped out of his hiding spot and began to breathe as he started to walk out of the alleyway.

At the same time, another young creature came out of a different manhole cover. He is revealed to be another Octoling with dark skin with yellow Afro hair. He is wearing full moon glasses, a sailor stripped t-shirt, black pants, and arrow pull-on shoes. That Octoling, was Clyde McBride.

After he jumped into the water hole to go after the Loud Sisters, they got separated. Now he finds himself in Inkopolis, feeling scared and confused. "Where am I?" he asked himself. "If only Lincoln were here. I wish I knew where to start." Just then, he bumped into another Octoling just outside of the alleyway.

Both Octolings fell backwards onto the ground. "Oof. I'm sorry about that. You okay?" asked Clyde. "Clyde, is that you lil' dude?" asked a famliar voice. "Bobby?!" Clyde took a quick glance and stared at Bobby's new look. At first he was excited to hear a familiar voice, but also upset knowing that it is the very same voice of the boyfriend of his crush, Lori.

"What happened to you? Why do you have a green octopus tentacle on your head?" Clyde asked. "Well, why is your hair all yellow?" asked Bobby. "What?!" Clyde looked to the reflection of a dark window and looked at his new appearance. At first he was shocked, but then realized that if he traveled to a new world, his physical appearance had to change. "I think we must've stumbled into a different world." said Clyde.

"But, how did you get here?" asked Bobby. "I jumped into a water hole after Lincoln's sisters." Clyde answered. Then Bobby grew more anxious. Hearing the fact that Lori stumbled into the strange new world got to him hard. "Where's Lori?" he asked. "I don't know, we must've gotten separated after we come through." replied Clyde. Bobby looked to Lincoln's friend and came up with a theory that contains a small glimmer of hope.

"Clyde, I came down to this city to find my little sister Ronnie Anne. But now I've been thinking, If Ronnie Anne is here, then that must mean Lincoln is here too." Clyde suddenly perked up over the mention of his best friend. If Ronnie Anne came to this world from the same cove Lincoln disappeared, then there's a chance that he might find both of them here too. "You might be right, Bobby!" said Clyde. "We have to find them, together." Not caring that Bobby is his crush's boyfriend, he offers his hand for a handshake. Bobby shakes it and replies, "Together. Then we will find Lincoln's sisters and return home."

Before they could proceed any further, a mysterious dark voice got their attention. "Excuse me." Bobby and Clyde turn their attention to a dark alley on the other side of the road. They cross it, not knowing who was speaking to them. Maybe it could be someone with information, or it could be someone taking advantage of them. But that didn't matter to the two Octolings. What was going on in their heads is the thought of finding Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and the Loud Sisters.

They approach the voice with extreme caution, "I couldn't help but notice that you two are having trouble finding your friends." Bobby was the first to speak, "We're desperate, my sister, my girlfriend and her siblings are out there." The mysterious figure shows to have glowing green eyes. "Well luckily, I know where we can start looking." he said. Clyde felt a tad grateful to the stranger's help, "If you could tell us, it would be very helpful." The mysterious stranger slowly blinked, "All I ask is for one small favor in return." He offers Bobby and Clyde what looked like a red gloved hand with a green X in the middle of his forearm.

Clyde and Bobby didn't know what to do. On one hand, the stranger could be leaning them into a trap. But on the other hand, he said he is the only one who knows the city better than anyone. And they both know that they need help searching for the Loud Family, and Ronnie Anne. So, with hesitation, Bobby and Clyde reach for his gloved hand and shook it. "What do need from us?" asked Clyde.

Just then, the figure grips their hands tightly. The gloved hand then, reveals itself to be a red tentacle. The stranger gives them each a pair of shades and places them on their heads. Then, he starts playing music that starts to penetrate their minds like a vice squeezing their heads. Eventually, Clyde and Bobby stop struggling and look to Inkopolis tower with blank looks on their faces.

The mysterious figure slowly came out of the shadows showing itself to be a dull red violet octopus wearing a black kabuto helmet with golden accents. "I need your help to take back what's mine." he said. The stranger reveals himself to be DJ Octavio, who escaped from Captain Cuttlefish and began living in the shadows of Inkopolis while coming up with a plan.

Then, a couple of Octarian soldiers come out of the sewers and salute to Octavio. "Octarians, today marks the beginning of a new era. Once we gather more 'help' from lost Inklings and Octarians, we will have what we need to take the Great Zapfish from those Inkling squirts yet again. Then, all the territory will belong to ME!" DJ Octavio laughs in evil triumph, while the brainwashed Clyde and Bobby stand firm behind their evil master.

**Oh no! Looks like Bobby and Clyde have trusted the wrong cephalopod. And now DJ Octavio is planning his next move to stealing the Great Zapfish yet again. Are Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and the Squid Sisters enough to defend the Great Zapfish from the Octarian Army? Or will they need more help then they thought. Well, here's to hope.**


	4. Stay Fresh!

After a few days living with Lincoln and the Citrus Bloopers, Ronnie Anne and the Kraken Krackers were able to live in their apartment building again. They thanked the Bloopers for letting them stay and Ronnie Anne teasingly punched Lincoln goodbye. Lincoln waved them off as they left the building. Del and Ruta look to Lincoln. Seeing that look on his face kept saying he really likes her.

Back at the Bloopers apartment, Del and Ruta were watching televsion, while Lincoln was staring out the window thinking about Ronnie Anne. He looked like he is overwhelmed with happiness and that Inkopolis couldn't get any better. But at the same time, he also thought about his home, Royal Woods. Del walked up to Lincoln and looked out the window too. "You really like Ronnie Anne, don't you?" he asked. "I sure do." replied Lincoln. "But not in a romantic kind of way." "More like family kind of way?" asked Ruta. "Exactly, Ronnie Anne is the closest thing I have of my home in Inkopolis." said Lincoln.

At the mention of home, Lincoln thinks back to his family and remembers how much he misses them. He thinks back to specific memories he had with his sisters. Like the time he and Luna spent their first rock concert together. And there was the time he and his sisters, except for Lori helped teach Leni how to drive. And how his sisters covered for him after he missed curfew. The more he thought about his sisters the more he missed home.

"I need a minute." he replied. He walks up to the roof of their apartment building and looks out to the horizon. He thinks back to when he made his wish on the beach. Sometimes, he thinks back to what if he didn't hide in that cove in the first place. Then he and his family would still be together. But if he did, he might stay in that squirrel suit for the rest of his life.

Then again, ever since he made his wish to prove he's more than what his family described him as; which was a jinx or a good luck charm. He had never been more sure of himself than he is now. Acknowledging that he got his wish, and the amount time he spent away from Royal Woods, made Lincoln realize how much he missed his family. As he started to cry, Del and Ruta come up to comfort the lonely Inkling. "I miss my family so much." he cried. "We know." replied Ruta. "But you can't give up hope. Trust me on that." said Del. "Even in the darkest of places, as long as there's a tiny spark of hope, it will ignite and you will find your way home."Lincoln embraced his guardians and the three went off to sleep.

The next day, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were practicing in the shooting gallery. They challenged themselves in sharpshooting with the Charger Blasters. Ronnie Anne was an a winning streak with bulls eyes, not missing a single shot. Lincoln was not far behind, only missing a target here and there.

Looking to Lincoln, Ronnie Anne smiled and walked up to him. "You wanna know a trick on how to get a perfect bulls eye?" she asked. "Sure." replied Lincoln. Ronnie Anne walks up as Lincoln gets ready to fire. "The farther the target is, the higher you need to raise your charger. That target is only 40 meters away. Do you see three lines under your scope?" Lincoln looks into the scope and sees three lines under the middle dot. "Yep." he replied. "Now raise the charger to the second line under the dot." said Ronnie Anne. Lincoln did just that. "Now before you pull the trigger, pace your breathing in a constant rhythm."

Lincoln did exactly what she instructed him to do. After inhaling a third time, he held his breath and pulled the trigger. A blast of ink went flying across the range and hit the target. The result was a perfect bullseye. "I DID IT!" he cried. "I knew you could do it." said Ronnie Anne. "Well, I had a really good teacher." said Lincoln and the two fist bumped.

Later that day, the two were having lunch in Inkopolis Square. "This food is amazing." said Ronnie Anne. "Too bad we can't make this at home, since it's a family secret recipe." said Lincoln. "You know, there are more Inklings and Octolings in the Square instead of the Plaza." said Ronnie Anne. "Now that you mention it, you're right." said Lincoln. "Maybe we should go check on the Great Zapfish." "Good idea." said Ronnie Anne.

As the two arrive at Inkopolis Plaza, they find only little to a few Inklings left. The two friends instantly realized that the Plaza is almost deserted. The two look to Inkopolis tower to find the Great Zapfish still wrapped around it like a snake catching its prey. "Thank goodness the Zapfish is still there." said Ronnie Anne. "Guess Octavio isn't taking it today." said Lincoln.

The two look at the entrance to find Marie sitting on one of the speakers looking a little down. "Is that Marie?" asked Lincoln. "Looks like it." relied Ronnie Anne. The two walk up, getting Marie's attention. "Oh, hey Lincoln, Ronnie Anne. What brings you here?" she asked. "We were just checking on the Great Zapfish, when we saw you a bit upset. You okay?" asked Lincoln. "Not exactly." said Marie. "Where's Callie?" asked Ronnie Anne. "That's the problem. And a long story." replied Marie.

The two Inklings sat in between Marie as she begins to tell her tale. "It all started in the Last Splatfest that took place here. Me and Callie were separate team factions in the big tournament. It was Team Callie vs. Team Marie. Before the battles began, I won the popularity contest of the tournament. Then, my teams won most of the battles in Splatfest. In the end, me and my team won Splatfest last year. But ever since I won, Callie was very distant with me. I'm worried about her, it's like she hated losing against me. And I know, you see us happy on Inkopolis News, but that's just for show. I don't want the Splatfest results to ruin our special bond."

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne listened carefully with understanding looks on their faces. This made Lincoln look back to the day when Lori and Leni fought over buying the same dress and the Sister Fight Protocol began. Lincoln grew a bit anxious and was scared that this might happen to the Squid Sisters. He clenched his fists, refusing to let this happen to his new friends. He had to do something.

"Where's Callie now?" asked Lincoln. "She's in Octo-Valley looking for more Octarians." said Marie. "I'll go talk to her, Ronnie Anne you stay here and keep her company." said Lincoln. "Okay Lincoln, I hope you know what you're doing." said Ronnie Anne. "To be honest, I don't. The last time I handled a situation like this, things got out of control." said Lincoln. "But, at least I'm trying something." Lincoln takes his leave to Octo-Valley while Ronnie Anne stay and talk.

In Octo-Valley, Lincoln gets his head set on and tries to communicate with Callie. "Agent 1, come in. It's Agent 4. Where are you?" he said repeatedly. After what seemed like a long time, he gets a response. "I'm just a couple clicks North away from Grandfather's hut." said Callie. "I'll be right there." said Lincoln. He makes his way to find Callie sitting on a ledge by herself.

Lincoln made his way and sat next to Callie. He looks to see Callie very upset. "You okay Callie?" Lincoln asked. Callie looks to Lincoln, "Oh yeah, I just needed some time to myself." she replied. "I don't think that's what you really need right now." said Lincoln. "I just talked with your cousin Marie-" Callie perked up at the sound of her name. "Well if she told you she needs me, you can tell her she should know how to take care of herself. I think she can do that now." she said.

Lincoln heard her words and now realized how serious this is. So to ease up the tension, Lincoln decided to change the subject. "You know, my third eldest sister Luna likes music too." he said. "She does?" asked Callie. "She puts her heart and soul into music. Rock n' Roll is her favorite genre." said Lincoln. "She was there with me when I went to my first rock concert with my other best friend, Clyde." Callie was interested in hearing more and told Lincoln to continue.

Lincoln began to tell his story, "At first my other sisters wanted Luna out of the subject because they said she ruined their first concerts. So I went along with it, until I found her in line. She kept butting in until, in a fit of rage, I called her out for her attitude. Eventually, she told me why she loved concerts so much. I felt guilty and apologized to her. For the rest of the day, she helped me make my first concert unforgettable. And I was so happy."

Callie felt much better hearing his story, and that's when Lincoln changed back the subject. "So are you distancing yourself from Marie because of what happened in the last Splatfest?" he asked. Callie took a deep breath and replied, "I never thought that Marie would beat me at something this big. I'm happy that she did, but at the same time..." "...At the same time you thought that she would be better than you?" finished Lincoln. Callie nodded in silence. "If that were true, than why did she tell me she was worried about you?" Callie turned back to Lincoln with a surprised look.

"Just because she beat you at one tournament, doesn't mean that she's better than you." said Lincoln. "You two share a bond I can't compare with, but one I can understand. The bond of Family." Callie looked to the Valley and then looked to the sky with a smile on her face. "Don't let one competition keep you down." said Lincoln.

Callie got up from the ledge and proudly said, "You're right Lincoln. Let's go find Marie." Lincoln got up too, then Callie surprisingly smothered him with a strong hug. "Thank you, Lincoln." said Callie. "Don't thank me yet, thank me when you sort things out with Marie." said Lincoln. The two leave Octo-Valley for Inkopolis Plaza.

Back at the Plaza, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were watching Callie and Marie talking to each other. "They're talking, that's a good sign." said Ronnie Anne. "I hope this doesn't end up like the Sister Fight Protocol." said Lincoln. "What kind of protocol is that?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Now _that_ is a long story too..." Lincoln began.

While the Squid Sisters were talking, Lincoln explained his story to Ronnie Anne. She listened with a disappointed look on her face. "..and that's the whole ugly truth." Lincoln finished. "That was very stupid of Lori and Leni." said Ronnie Anne. "I know. It was just a dress." Lincoln exclaimed. But then they stood in silence when they saw the Squid Sisters hugging. "It looks like you won't have to worry about that Protocol here." said Ronnie Anne. "Looks like it." said Lincoln.

"Lincoln come over here." said Marie. Lincoln did what she said and the three came together for a group hug. Ronnie Anne looked happy knowing how helpful Lincoln was with their problem. Just then, a flier being flown in the wind, caught itself on Ronnie Anne's leg. Ronnie Anne looks at the flier and stares in shock.

"We want to thank you for patching things up with me and Callie." said Marie."So if there's anything we can do for you Lincoln, please don't hesitate to ask." said Callie. Lincoln smiled, "Until I can think of something, I'll keep that in mind." "LINCOLN!" Ronnie Anne shouted. Lincoln and the Squid Sisters directed their attention to Ronnie Anne as she raced to the three.

"Take a look at this." Ronnie Anne gives Lincoln the flier, revealing it to be a missing person poster of him. "Is _that_ what you look like as a human?" asked Callie. "It is, but I don't understand, it's no surprise I'm missing in Royal Woods, Ronnie Anne." said Lincoln. "That's the point Lincoln! _I_ didn't bring a missing person poster of you when I came here!" cried Ronnie Anne. This made Lincoln stop in his tracks.

"What about Bobby?" asked Lincoln. "When we came to the Royal Woods beach, we didn't bring any missing person posters of you. Someone from Royal Woods must know we're here!" replied Ronnie Anne. Hearing her statement made Lincoln stare off into space. Thinking back, he remembered what Del said, 'Even in the darkest of places, as long as there's a tiny spark of hope, it will ignite and you will find your way home.' Lincoln smiled knowing that hope has arrived. "Someone we might know may be here!?" he cried. "We could find a way back home!"

Then out of nowhere he hugged Ronnie Anne out of impulse. She was at first shocked, but didn't push him away. She knew he needed this moment. "But how can we get to them if they're out in Inkopolis?" asked Ronnie Anne. "We may have an idea." said Marie. "It's a long shot, but if we can get you on live television, you can tell your friends where you are and tell them where to meet you." finished Callie. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne looked at each other and smiled. "Sounds like a great idea." said Lincoln.

The three Inklings and Octoling travel to Inkopolis Square where they reach the broadcast station of Inkopolis news. The Squid Sisters were able to get to the manager's office while Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were waiting at the front desk. "Those two really know how to get anywhere." said Ronnie Anne. "They are one of the most popular duos in Inkopolis." said Lincoln.

Just then, another Inkling and an Octoling enter the building with a group of fans cheering from outside. The Inkling is shown to be shorter and smaller in height than most Inklings. Her tentacles are shoulder-length and are creamy white with pink tips and a small bang. Her outfit consists of a pearly white sleeveless dress with a high collar, a slanted diamond-like pattern at the bottom left, and a large golden zipper on the front with a cross-shaped hole zipped all the way, white shorts, pink tights, white, slightly platformed boots with big golden zippers that have cross-shaped holes zipped up, and black soles at the bottom, black fingerless gloves, and a white crown with pink tips on her head that resembles a squid ring tooth.

The Octoling has dark brown skin. She appears to be taller than most Octolings and Inklings. Her tentacles are purplish-brown with teal edges, which are long and worn down reaching past her waist. Her outfit consists of a sleeveless black top covering her chest with a large, mostly undone silver zipper with an infinity-shaped hole resembling an 8 and a high collar, leaving her midriff visible, showing a teal navel piercing. She has black shorts with a diagonal waistline and slanted deep teal lines over teal tights, black fingerless gloves, and wears black boots with big undone silver zippers with 8-shaped holes, like the one on her top. She appears to have on large, black headphones with teal rings on the sides of them.

"Any idea who they could be?" asked Lincoln. "I've seen them before on television." replied Ronnie Anne. Just then, the Inkling and Octoling spot Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. "Oh are you two new here?" the Octoling asked. "It's not what you think." said Lincoln. "We are here along with the Squid Sisters." "The Squid Sisters are here?!" cried the Inkling. "Calm down, I'm sure it's just business." said the Octoling.

The Octoling reached out to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne and introduced herself. "My name is Marina." she said. "And I'm her partner, Pearl." said the Inkling. "Together we are Off the Hook!" The two then pose in front of Lincoln and Ronnie Ann and say their catchphrase, "Don't get cooked! Stay off the hook!" Lincoln and Ronnie Anne smiled at their pose and shook hands with Pearl and Marina.

"Nice to see you both too." said Lincoln. "So what are you doing here?" asked Pearl. "It's a long story." said Ronnie Anne. She and Lincoln began to tell their tale of how they ended up in Inkopolis up to this point. The only part they left out was that they were part of the new Squidbeak Splatoon, because they are undercover agents. Pearl and Marina smiled and frowned upon the adventures they've endured, and smiled before they wrapped up.

"...so now, the Squid Sisters are doing whatever they can to get us on television so I can broadcast a message to whoever came from my home town." Lincoln concluded. "That sounds amazing." said Pearl. "We want to wish you good luck getting on television." said Marina. "It's not easy when you're not a celebrity like us." With that being said, Marina and Pearl take their leave to their news room.

Just then, Callie and Marie walk back to the front desk and told the two friends their results. "We are able to get you on television." said Callie. This made Lincoln and Ronnie Anne high five each other. "...but there is a catch." said Marie. "You'll have to dance with us on a live broadcast after sending the message." This made Ronnie Anne tense up ten fold. She has never danced in public, nor has she ever told Lincoln about it.

"The manager can only give you a minute and an half to say what you want, then you guys will dance in our video." said Callie. "Okay thanks." said Lincoln. "Consider us even now." Callie and Lincoln high five, just to see that Ronnie Anne left the station. "Where did Ronnie Anne go?" asked Marie. "I'll see if I can find her." said Lincoln. "Just remember, we have to be on the air tomorrow." said Callie.

Lincoln went to the Kracken Krackers' apartment building first to find Ronnie Anne. He asked her team mates if she was there, but they said no. Then, he made his way to the Citrus Bloopers only to have no luck. Just when he thought that he couldn't find her in time, he sees her wandering the streets of Inkopolis Plaza.

"Ronnie Anne are you okay?" Lincoln asked. "Yeah, why do you ask?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Are you nervous about dancing on television too?" Lincoln replied. Ronnie Anne was shocked to hear him admit that. "It's okay if you don't want to go on, but I need whoever came here from Royal Woods to know that I'm out here, and I'm alive."

Ronnie Anne looked to Lincoln with guilt. "It's not only that Lincoln, it's just that I get very severe stage fright." Lincoln perked up hearing this from his friend for the first time. "When I was in first grade, I was cast as a tree. When I fell on my face, people started laughing at me. Someone even yelled 'timber'." Lincoln listened to every word she said. Her phobia of performing in front of everyone was very serious. But this isn't a stage of people this time, it's being broadcast all over Inkopolis.

Lincoln had to come up with a plan, "How about we just dance behind the Squid Sisters?" Ronnie Anne lifted her head up as he explained. "We can just be the back up dancers, while the cameras mostly focus on them. No one will even notice us dancing." Ronnie Anne smiled at his plan, "Okay, but what about our routine?" she asked. "We can just mimic our dance moves from the Dancing game at Gus' Game-n-Grub." replied Lincoln. Ronnie Anne smiled. "Okay."

The next day, Ronnie Anne told the Squid Sisters about her phobia. Callie and Marie were able to convince the stage crew to keep their attention on them as they performed so Ronnie Anne won't have to feel focused on television. "Are you sure I can do this Lincoln?" Ronnie Anne asked. Lincoln just smiled, "If I can shoot, you can dance."

And so the lights grew dim, Lincoln stood in front of the camera. As the light turned red, Lincoln knew he was on the air. He cleared his throat and began to speak in front of Inkopolis. "My name is Lincoln Loud. Standing behind me in the dark is my best friend Ronnie Anne Santiago. We were originally human beings, and we lived in a place called Royal Woods, Michigan." He holds up the missing person poster of himself in front of the camera. "We never thought that someone from Royal Woods would eventually find us here in Inkopolis...until now. If you can hear this message, me and Ronnie Anne will be in the center of Inkopolis Square, waiting and hoping that someone will find us."

(The Squid Sisters – Fresh Start begins to play)

Lincoln walked out of the spotlight and stayed in the darkness with Ronnie Anne. The spotlight splits in two and shines down on the Squid Sisters. The two start to sing as Lincoln and Ronnie Anne sway to the rhythm of the music. Ronnie Anne continues to shake constantly, but Lincoln's touch on her shoulder reassured her that she isn't alone. As the tempo began to increase, the two friends danced like they did in Gus' Game-n-Grub.

The two danced in perfect sync and hardly tripped on their own feet. When the Squid Sisters took a quick glance behind them, they came up with an idea. They signaled the stage crew to adjust the back lights bright enough so that the audience could see their back up dancers.

This ploy made Lincoln and Ronnie Anne look and each other with worry in their eyes. That is until Ronnie Anne smiled. Which made Lincoln smile, knowing that Ronnie Anne is confronting her fear. The two continue to dance as the Squid Sisters continued to sing their new song.

For the rest of the broadcast, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne smiled with glee. They could be one step away from returning home. All they have to do is wait a little longer, and then whoever is out there can find them in Inkopolis Square. The Squid Sisters were happy that they could help their new friends get home.

(Fresh Start almost finishes)

Just as they were about to finish their song, the four strike the Squid Sisters pose. Then, the light on the camera turned off signaling that they were off the air. The four then took a breath and a refreshing drink to celebrate a job well done. "You guys did great!" said Marie. "We couldn't have done it without you two." said Lincoln.

Just then, Ronnie Anne gave Lincoln a genuine hug. This surprised Lincoln, he thought she wouldn't hug him again. "Thank you Lincoln Loud. Thank you for everything."she said. Lincoln returned the hug. "You're welcome Ronnie Anne." he said. "Aww, You guys are so cute." said Callie.

At that instant, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne pushed away from each other. "Lincoln, you are the soul representation of how important family is." said Marie. Then, she start to produce tears in her eyes and cried, "I want to see my parents!" Callie went to comfort her cousin when she said that.

Meanwhile in the outskirts of Inkopolis, a couple of Octarians returned to where Octavio was hiding. "What's today's report?" Octavio asked. "The young Inkling and Octarian plan to hold their ground in Inkopolis Square." said one of the Octarians. "I know, I saw the broadcast." said Octavio. "We also heard a rumor that Cuttlefish's grand kids are planning on leaving town." said the second Octarian.

This statement made Octavio grin. "Excellent, that just leaves the Great Zapfish under the protection of two young impudent Ink Squirts." He looks to the view of Inkopolis Tower with the Great Zapfish rubbing his tentacles together. "And with the new found help we have recruited over the past few days, they won't stand a chance against us as we begin to claim all the territory of Inkopolis!" Bobby and Clyde, still brainwashed by Octavio's hypnoshades, stand in front of him as he laughs maniacally. Then, more mysterious figures hiding in the dark show themselves to have hypnoshades on their heads.

**Thanks to the Squid Sisters, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are a little closer to finding a way back to Royal Woods. But now with the Squid Sisters planning on seeing their parents, Octavio is about to begin with his plan on stealing the Great Zapfish from the people of Inkopolis. And with a little help from stragglers, can Lincoln and Ronnie Anne face them off? We will find out.**


	5. Zapfish Fishnapped

It is now July, almost four months since Lincoln entered the world of Inkopolis. Ever since then, he has learned how to battle in turf wars. In doing so, he has learned how to find himself again. During his stay, he has been looking high and low for a way back home. Then, his best friend Ronnie Anne Santiago came to Inkopolis two months after him. The two were able to find each other and are now working as a team to find a way back to Royal Woods. Now they realize that someone from Royal Woods is also in Inkopolis. So, they decided to broadcast a message in hopes of finding whoever is out there.

Now, Lincoln, keeping his word, has been waiting in the center of Inkopolis Square for their ally or friend. Sometimes, he waits there by himself. Other times Ronnie Anne would join him, or take his place while he trained with the Citrus Bloopers. They kept high hopes that someone would find them. And thanks to the Squid Sisters, who have recently left to visit their families for a while, their message has been set on a commercial loop in case they didn't get the live broadcast.

As more days pass, Lincoln held on to his small glimmer of hope. 'I can't give up now.' he thought. 'not while I'm so close.' Today, Lincoln stood in Inkopolis Square and Ronnie Anne decided to go check on the Great Zapfish by herself. "Let me know if there's any trouble." said Lincoln holding onto his headset. "You got it Lincoln." Said Ronnie Anne as she puts hers on her head and leaves for Inkopolis Tower.

Meanwhile, Del and Ruta were on their way to Sheldon's Armory when they see Lincoln in the center of the Square. "Hey Inkoln. What's up?" asked Del. "Still following my plan of getting back home. That's what's up." he replied. "We're just on our way to get more weapons for turf battles." Said Ruta. "Want us to get you anything?" Lincoln thought to himself for a moment and replied, "Could you get me a new splattershot with an increase rate of fire?" Ruta nodded, "Sure."

Del looked to his headset and found it interesting. "Nice headphones, where did you get them?" he asked. Lincoln had to give them an answer. He knew that he couldn't tell them that he was part of the new Squidbeak Splatoon. But he wanted to try to be as honest as possible. "These are one of a kind." Lincoln replied, "Me and Citra were helping the community, and one of the elders gave me a headset he bought on one of his travels." Del and Ruta knew he was hiding something, but they grinned teasingly.

Ruta gave him a nudge on his shoulder. "That's very kind of you Lincoln." said Ruta. "We're going to go now." said Del. "But never forget, as long as there's a spark of hope, you will find your way home." Lincoln nodded at them and waved goodbye. 'Those two are one of a kind as well.' He thought.

At Inkopolis Plaza, Ronnie Anne was scouting the area, making sure that the Great Zapfish is safe from the Octarian Army. As Ronnie Anne looked around, she could see that the Plaza is now empty. This made her remain very vigilant. Anyone that shows up, could be after the Great Zapfish. 'I just wish Octavio would show himself so that my Abuela could make something delicious out of him.' she thought.

Suddenly, the Great Zapfish began to start wiggling. Ronnie Anne turned at its attention, only to see ink being splattered on its tail. "What's going on up there?" she asked herself. She equipped herself with her Hero Charger and started to swim up to the Great Zapfish. "I don't know why, but I've got a feeling that this is going to be quite a fight." she said to herself. What Ronnie Anne wasn't prepared for, was who she was about to encounter.

As she got to the top of Inkopolis Tower, she spotted two figures splatting what looked like Octarian Ink. She pointed to the two and shouted, "Put your hands or tentacles in the air!" The two immediately stopped shooting and turned around. Ronnie just stood in shock and awe, "Dios Mio! It can't be!"

The two figures were Bobby and Clyde, still brainwashed by Octavio, equipped with Octoshots and Octo Brushes. "You are interfering with Octarian business." Clyde said holding his Octo brush. "Leave now, or suffer the consequences." Bobby said with his Octoshot. The two Octolings were prepared to fight if Ronnie Anne ever tried anything.

Ronnie Anne didn't know what to do. On one hand, she was happy to find her brother in Inkopolis. On the other hand, she couldn't believe that her brother and her best friend's friend are working for the enemy. All she did, and out of impulse, was approach them with caution. "Bobby, it's me. Ronnie Anne, your sister?" Bobby didn't back down from her words. Instead, he fired a blob of Octarian Ink at her.

Ronnie Anne dodged his attack, and retaliated. She took her charger and fired a warning shot at Clyde. Clyde paced to the right and used his brush to charge at her. Not wanting to hurt either of them, Ronnie Anne kept her ground by surrounding herself with her own ink. "Stay out of our way!" shouted Clyde. "We are taking back what's ours!" cried Bobby. "Bobby! Listen to yourself, this isn't you! Especially you, Clyde!"

Back in Inkopolis Square, Lincoln began pacing back and forth. Not because he's getting impatient, but because he felt like something is off. He takes his headset and tries to contact Ronnie Anne. "Ronnie Anne, can you hear me?" he asked. Unfortunately, he gets no response. "I hope Ronnie Anne is okay." he said to himself. Then, he spots the Great Zapfish fidgeting from Inkopolis Tower. He suddenly realizes that this was the off feeling he felt earlier. "Ronnie Anne. I'm coming."

On the tower, Bobby and Clyde surround Ronnie Anne in Octarian ink. Ronnie Anne felt like she's hold on to a ton of weight. Bobby and Clyde approach the defenseless Octoling in suspense. "Did you think that you could beat us?" asked Bobby. "You should've known not to mess with the Octarian Army." "Now we are going to take back what was taken from the Octarians all those years ago." said Clyde. But what they didn't suspect was that Lincoln was hiding in his ink behind them, and was listening to the whole thing.

Unaware of who the Octolings are, Lincoln throws a couple of his ink bombs on the unsuspecting duo. The resulting blast knocked their hypno shades off of their heads and stumble to the ledge of the tower. Lincoln comes out of hiding from the ink to help Ronnie Anne, but she points to the Octolings. "Lincoln! Save them!" He looks over to see two familiar faces, Bobby and Clyde. Before he could do anything else, the two Octolings fall off the tower.

Lincoln jumps down in time to grab them. He then takes a small sponge from out of his pocket, and throws it to the ground before they do. He shoots ink on the sponge to expand it and cushion their fall. Lincoln turned himself into a squid in time as the three touch the sponge. Ronnie Anne looks at the hypno shades and takes a pair out of curiosity. Then, she makes her way off the tower and down to the Plaza.

"Lincoln! Are you okay?" asked Ronnie Anne. Lincoln appeared out of the sponge and changed back to his inkling form. "Yeah, I'm okay." He replied. He turned his head over to the Octolings, and couldn't believe his eyes. He saw that the Octolings were Bobby and Clyde, and they were attempting to steal the Great Zapfish from Inkopolis Tower. "Lincoln, do you know why I told you to save them?" asked Ronnie Anne. Lincoln nodded, "Because those two are Bobby and Clyde." He looks to see that the resulting fight has left them unconscious. "I can't believe that they are here, and working with the enemy no less." said Ronnie Anne.

Lincoln looks to the two Octolings who were not too badly injured. "We should get them someplace safe." said Lincoln. Lincoln chose to carry Clyde, while Ronnie Anne chose her brother. "Hey Lincoln." Lincoln turned his head at Ronnie Anne's attention. "Thanks for saving me." Lincoln smiled, "What are best friends for." The two make their way to the Citrus Bloopers apartment to check in their unconscious friends.

After Del and Ruta offered the couch to the Octolings, Lincoln showed a smile on his face. "Do you think one of those guys knows how we entered Inkopolis?" said Ronnie Anne. Lincoln offered a handshake to Ronnie Anne. "Well, here's to hope." he said. "To hope." Ronnie Anne replied. He accepted the handshake just as the nurse arrived.

Ruta decided to check on Bobby and Clyde to make sure they weren't badly hurt. "How are they doing?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Just a few scratches and bruises, but they are going to be okay." Ruta replied. "There may be possible concussions, but let's just pray that there isn't." Lincoln nodded at the situation.

The two friends watch Bobby and Clyde sleeping soundly on the couch for quite some time. "Why were they trying to steal the Great Zapfish?" Lincoln asked. "I don't think they know what they were doing." said Ronnie Anne. "What do you mean?" asked Lincoln. Ronnie Anne pulls out the shades that she picked up from the tower. "These sunglasses are none like any I've ever seen." Lincoln takes them and agrees with her. "Nothing like I've seen neither in Inkopolis nor Royal Woods."

Lincoln puts the shades on his head and then suddenly stops in his tracks. "Must… take…. Zapfish." Ronnie Anne realized that it was the shades that made Bobby and Clyde act weird. So, she snatches the shades off of Lincoln's face and steps on them breaking them. Lincoln suddenly regains control of his mind after the shades were destroyed. "I'm so sorry, Ronnie Anne." said Lincoln. "It's okay Lincoln, you weren't yourself." replied Ronnie Anne.

While they were talking, a couple of grunts were coming from Bobby and Clyde. Clyde was the first one to be fully awake and see blurs of the unsuspecting Inkling and Octoling. He takes out a pair of back up glasses after losing his first pair earlier. As he got a clear visual of the two, he let out a loud scream that got their attention. "AHHH!" Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had to control the situation. "Clyde, Clyde, Clyde." Lincoln started. Clyde was scared out of his mind. "H-H-help!" "Shhh." hushed Ronnie Anne. "Bobby! Bobby! Wake up!"

"Clyde it's okay. It's okay, you're safe!" said Lincoln. "How am I okay?! How do you know my name?!" "Because it's Lincoln in this Inkling body." said Ronnie Anne. "Oh my God! You Ate MY BEST FRIEND?!" He yells into Lincoln's stomach. "Can you hear me!?" "Clyde!" "Listen! Keep Breathing! I'll get you out of there!"

Clyde starts calling for Bobby, only for Lincoln to cover his mouth. "Clyde, _this __is_ me." said Lincoln calmly. Clyde struggles a little bit more, only to look into Lincoln's eyes. It was at that moment he knew Lincoln was telling the truth. Clyde's eyes began to water, just as Lincoln took his hand away from his mouth. "Lincoln? Is it really you?" Clyde asked. Lincoln nodded, "Hey Clyde. Long time no see, buddy."

Clyde instantly hugged his long-lost best friend. He couldn't stop crying with joy. Lincoln felt his tears stain the back of his shirt, but he let him cry anyway. "I'm so glad you're here Clyde." said Lincoln. "You were here all this time!?" asked Clyde. "Why didn't you come back?" Lincoln was stunned that he asked him that question. "I had short term memory loss when I came here. I tried so many times to find my way home, to no avail." Lincoln responded. "But, I never stopped looking for a way back."

Before Lincoln could ask, Bobby started to wake up. The first person he saw was none other than his sister, Ronnie Anne. At first, he was surprised, but then he remembered that if his human form changed, so did she. "Ronnie Anne? Is that you?" he asked. Ronnie Anne nodded, "Yes Bobby, it's me." Bobby got off the couch and hugged his sister tightly. "I knew I would find you here!"

He looked over to see Clyde awake, only to see Lincoln standing beside him. "Lincoln? Is that-?" Lincoln just nodded, "Yes Bobby, Ronnie Anne found me. And now, you guys found me too." Bobby was so happy, he and Lincoln performed their bro handshake. "We should make a finishing move for this." said Lincoln. "Good idea, Lil' bro." said Bobby.

Ronnie Anne got their group together, "Okay, now that this little reunion is over. What were you two doing to the Great Zapfish?" she asked. "What are you talking about?" asked Bobby. "You guys attacked me, and said you were taking back what's yours." said Ronnie Anne. "I don't remember doing that." said Clyde. Lincoln started to think, 'If they can't remember what they just did. Then, maybe…'

"Clyde, Bobby, what is the last thing you remember?" asked Lincoln. "Well we were planning on searching for you guys. Until, we found a strange creature who offered to help us in exchange for a favor." said Bobby. "But then, we were suddenly grabbed by an octopus tentacle and then everything went black. That's all we remember." said Clyde. "a tentacle?" Lincoln said quietly to Ronnie Anne. "Did this creature have any distinguished looks? What did it look like?" she asked. "Well, it had green glowing eyes." said Bobby. "And a large green X on its tentacle." said Clyde.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were shocked. They remember that Agent 3 told them the same descriptions when she saw DJ Octavio. "Who you just saw was very dangerous." said Lincoln. "That was DJ Octavio, leader of the evil Octarian Army." said Ronnie Anne. "Why does he want that giant fish on the tower?" asked Clyde. "The Great Zapfish is the power source of Inkopolis." said Lincoln. "Without it, everything that powers Inkopolis will fail. Even spawn points that revive us from being splatted." Clyde and Bobby were amazed to hear that a giant electric fish was being used as a giant battery.

Then out of nowhere, the power in the apartment just switched off, then immediately went back on again. Bobby, Clyde, and the Citrus Bloopers were a bit relieved that the power surge passed. But, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne thought differently. They look out at Inkopolis Tower, and find that the Great Zapfish has disappeared, horrifying the two secret agents. "Oh no. This is bad." said Lincoln. "I thought this city relies on the Great Zapfish." said Bobby. "How did they get the power back on?" "They must be running on emergency back up power." said Ronnie Anne, "It might not hold out in time for Splatfest." "What's Splatfest?" asked Clyde.

Just then, Off the Hook came on television announcing their breaking news. "Ya'll know what time it is!" said Pearl. "This is Off the Hook coming to you live from Inkopolis Square, to bring you this breaking news update." said Marina. "We have just received word from our producer that the Great Zapfish has mysteriously disappeared from Inkopolis Tower!" "I feel like I have heard this story before." said Pearl. "So until we can find it, we'll have to postpone Splatfest, and limit turf war battles in the mean time." said Marina. Pearl gets out of her chair and said "But until then..." Marina moves her turn table to make her signature pose. "..Don't get cooked! Stay Off the Hook!"

Lincoln, Clyde, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne stood in disbelief, the unthinkable has happened. "Can this day get any worse?" Lincoln asked. Clyde suddenly remembered another problem that Lincoln doesn't know. "Uhh, actually it can." he said. "What do you mean, Clyde?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Lincoln, your sisters are here too." Lincoln stood in shock with what Clyde said. Not only has the Great Zapfish disappeared, but now his sisters are in Inkopolis. "I followed them when they jumped into a watering hole in the cove at Royal Woods."

"Any idea where they are?" asked Lincoln. "No, we got separated when I came to Inkopolis." Ronnie Anne suddenly realized something, "Bobby, Clyde, how did you get to Inkopolis after jumping in that watering hole?" she asked. "I came from below the sewer line, I had to find light to guide my way out." said Clyde. "Me too." said Bobby.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were astounded. After four months of searching, they finally have a way back to Royal Woods. But deep down, Lincoln knew that it would be wrong. "We can't leave now." Ronnie Anne, Bobby, and Clyde looked to the Inkling who turned his attention to Inkopolis Tower. "My sisters are lost, and Inkopolis' doesn't know that their only power source has fallen into the hands of the Octarian Army. I made a promise to Captain Cuttlefish that I would find Octavio and keep the Great Zapfish safe. Because I am Lincoln Loud, a loving brother, a great son, a great battler, and the Man with a Plan."

Clyde, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne were amazed with what he said. Ronnie Anne stood by his side and said, "I made that promise too. What's the plan?" Bobby walked up to his sister and friend and said, "If we're going to be here a bit longer, I will follow you until the end." Clyde was hyped up with adventure and stood by Lincoln's side. "I've waited for four months to hear you say those words Lincoln. Now that I've found you, I won't leave until we save everyone." Lincoln smiled at his friends.

"If we're going to find the Great Zapfish and return it to Inkopolis, we're going to need some help." Lincoln introduced Bobby and Clyde to his roommates Del and Ruta, and the four shake hands. "Thanks for looking after Lil' Loud for us." said Bobby. "You're welcome." said Del. Lincoln went to his room alone so that he could contact the Squid Sisters. "Agent 1 and Agent 2, come in. This is Agent 4. The Great Zapfish has been taken. We need your help."

Lincoln waited for a response and then gets something from Marie. "Agent 1 to Agent 4, meet us at Tentakeel Outpost in the Octo Canyon. Bring Agent 5 along with you. The passage to the outpost is located near Sheldon's armory in Inkopolis Square." Lincoln agreed to the instructions and came out of his room. "Come on Ronnie Anne, we've got a job to do. Let's go." Ronnie Anne nodded. "Bobby, you and Clyde will have to stay here until we get back." "What? Why?" asked Clyde. "This job is very dangerous, and it will involve in searching for the Great Zapfish." "But, we can search too." said Bobby. "Where we are going is too dangerous for Octolings like you two." said Lincoln. "No one is safe without spawn points powering throughout Inkopolis."

"I know you just found us, but can you respect our wishes and stay here?" asked Ronnie Anne. "I'll tell you what, if we ever find any of my sisters, you guys can look after them until we get back." said Lincoln. Bobby just hugged his sister, and Clyde hugged his best friend. "You better come back." said Clyde. "Clincoln McCloud forever." said Lincoln. As the two secret agents wave goodbye, Bobby and Clyde take refuge in the Citrus Bloopers' apartment. "So, what do you guys like to do?" asked Clyde.

**Well, DJ Octavio has done it again. He has stolen the Great Zapfish, and is preparing to conquer Inkopolis. But thanks to the efforts of Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, they have found Bobby and Clyde, and a way to return home to Royal Woods. But now, Lincoln's greatest adventure is about to begin. Stay Fresh, Agents 1,2,4,&5.**


	6. A Matter of Loaf and Death

And so, the young Inkling and Octoling's grand adventure begins. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne travel to Octo Canyon by using the manhole cover Marie instructed them to go through. Along the way, Lincoln looked to his octopus friend. "Hey Ronnie Anne, whatever happens next, I'm glad to be sharing this adventure with you," he said. Ronnie Anne looked over with a smile and said, "Don't get all mushy now Lame-O, we haven't even started yet." "I just wanted to say that before we go save the Great Zapfish," said Lincoln.

As they reach the other side of the manhole cover, the two agents reach Octo Canyon. The two take a look at their surrounding area, then instantly look at each other. While entering the Canyon, their ink color changed from orange and purple to turquoise. "Wow, Lincoln did you do something to your color?" asked Ronnie Anne. Lincoln looked to his head and said, "I don't know, but this happened to you too." Ronnie Anne looked to her head and looked surprised.

"Don't worry you two, it is natural for Inklings and Octolings to be changing color," said a familiar voice. The two turn to see the source of the voice. They see Callie and Marie standing next to a shack they call Cuttlefish Cabin. Marie is shown wearing a black and dark gray kimono with gold triangle patterns around the waist and carries a green parasol with the Cuttlegear Cuttlegear brand logo on it. She wears traditional Japanese sandals, or 'geta', and a different, pink, headpiece. Callie is shown to wear a casual outfit: a white shirt with a black undershirt and a pink hoodie, a pair of black shorts, a pair of brown heeled shoes with pink socks sticking out, earrings, and the same pink beanie she wears as Agent 1 of the same color as her hoodie with the yellow star.

"Welcome to the Tentakeel Outpost," said Callie with a stretched arm. "After the Great Zapfish was stolen, the Octarians also took regular Zapfish in an effort to power their Octo weapons," said Marie. "Wait! there's more than just one Zapfish?" asked Ronnie Anne. Marie nodded, "The regular Zapfish follow the Great one like a flock of seagulls. With the Great Zapfish in Octarian tentacles, they are now separated in the clutches of the Octarian Army."

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne looked at each other with determination. The only people who know the truth about the Great Zapfish are the only ones who swore to protect the peace between the Inklings and the Octarians. They knew that the only way to take back the Great Zapfish is to retrieve the little Zapfish. The two turn to the Squid Sisters and Ronnie Anne asked, "Where do we start looking?"

Callie pointed out to the Outpost showing them various kettle locations. "We got locations to where the Octarians are guarding the Zapfish," she said. "If we get enough Zapfish, we advance to the next location and we get closer to finding the Great Zapfish." "And once we get the Great Zapfish back, you'll help me find my sisters right?" asked Lincoln.

Lincoln had to keep his worries on a leash. He knew that his sisters are out somewhere in Inkopolis, but he doesn't know that they could be in trouble. So the Squid Sisters were more than happy to help, if he helps them get the Great Zapfish back. "Of course Lincoln," said Callie. "We promised we'd help you find them," said Marie. Lincoln smiled, and he and Ronnie Anne rush off to the first kettle.

Callie and Marie held their ground at Cuttlefish Cabin. Marie used her headphones to communicate with Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. "Agents 4 and 5, can you hear me?" she asked. "Loud and clear," said Ronnie Anne. "We've arrived at the Octarian's hideout." Callie and Marie smiled, so far they haven't gotten hurt yet. "Great. Now go get the Zapfish. Proceed with caution." "Please be careful Linky," said Callie. Marie looked at her with confusion. "What? I think he's a cute kid."

Eventually, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne successfully retrieved three Zapfish. One together, and the other two they spit up to save time. They obtain all the three Zapfish in Tentakeel Outpost. "The Zapfish are saved! Onward!" cheered Lincoln. "But it took twice as long when we worked together," said Ronnie Anne. As they bring the Zapfish near the large kettle in the center of the Outpost, the kettle opens up to a new area.

"Does that kettle lead to another area?" Asked Ronnie Anne. "It sure does," said Callie. "Now you have to retrieve the Zapfish there to advance to the next area." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne enter the kettle, and they agreed to work together from now on. "What do you think Marie?" Asked Callie. "They kinda remind me of us when we were young," said Marie. "Those two work really well together."

The two agents pop out of their spawn point and spot the Zapfish in the open area. "There's another Zapfish!" Cried Lincoln. "This looks too easy," said Ronnie Anne. The two jump to the arena and slowly approach the Zapfish. Just then, a large tentacle drags the Zapfish in the Octarian Ink. Then, a mysterious large device slowly ascends from the ink. The light died down to reveal an eight sided oven with large loaves of bread sticking out of the sides.

"What kind of Octo weapon is that?" Asked Lincoln. "That's the hot Octo-oven, it brings 425 degrees of pain!" Said Callie. "So the Octarians _are_ using the Zapfish to power the Octoweapons, _again_." Said Marie. "The source of the trouble is the tentacle on top of the oven." The two agents look to the top of the oven and see the tentacle.

"How are we going to get up there?" Asked Lincoln. "Let's draw its attention and figure out a plan," said Ronnie Anne. The two agents splatter ink all over the arena, while the Octo-oven proceeds to attack by launching their bread loaves at them. The oven prepares to launch all their loaves of bread at the same time. As they do, they stop in their tracks. That's when Lincoln got an idea. "Ronnie Anne! Start climbing!" He shouted.

The two agents shoot their ink onto the bread loaves, then onto the oven itself and climb to the top. As they got there they begin to open fire on the tentacle until it exploded. They jump off as the weak spot began spewing Octarian Ink. The two watch as the Octo-oven began to equip itself with more iron walls and shoots out columns of ink across the arena. "Are we going to let this phase stop us from winning?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I don't think so." Lincoln replied.

Just then, a mysterious figure jumped from the Octo-oven and landed in front of the agents. The figure reveals to be an Inkling with double-bun hairstyle. The Inkling's ink color was yellow and wore Octoling armor. The Inkling was also is equipped with braces in her teeth and the same hypnoshades as Bobby and Clyde's. The weapon she is equipped with is a slosher. Attached to the Inkling's head looked like another Inkling, only younger. The Inkling's color is a light purple and is also equipped with hypnoshades. In the Inkling's arm is carrying a stuffed animal, a rabbit to be exact.

Lincoln stood in shock, for he had a pretty good idea who is standing right in front of him. It was one of his older sisters, Luan Loud. He looks over to see the younger inkling to see what it was carrying. 'Is that Bun-Bun?' He thought. Then, he realized that the young Inkling was his baby sister, Lily Loud. Ronnie Anne was just as shocked as Lincoln was because this could be a challenge for her partner.

"_Donut_ stop, you'll_ knead_ to keep going!" Luan laughed at the agents. "That is if you can get past us!" Lincoln looked with worry, he didn't want to hurt any of his sisters. But Ronnie Anne placed a hand on his shoulder and assured him, "They are brainwashed Lincoln, just aim for the sunglasses." Lincoln looked to Ronnie Anne and nodded with a smile. "I'll distract them, while you destroy that oven," said Lincoln. Ronnie Anne nodded and Lincoln started to shoot at Luan and Lily, grabbing her attention.

Luan chased Lincoln on the other side of the area, sloshing his ink wherever he swims. "Luan, I know you're in there," said Lincoln. "You may not see it now, but it's me, Lincoln, your brother." Luan just kept sloshing ink at her brother and said, "We have just reclaimed the Great Zapfish from you imputant Ink squirts. We will not let you take it away from us!"

Lincoln kept swimming away from his brainwashed sisters just as Ronnie Anne landed in front of him. "I got the tentacle again," she said. Lincoln smiled, then watched as the loaves of bread started equipping themselves with iron plating. "I guess we're going to make things a _rye_ for you," Luan laughed. Lincoln rolled his eyes and said, "She still hasn't lost her sense of humor." Then, the Octo-oven began to open up their glazing nostril. "Don't worry, if you go down, you'll go down in a _glazing_ glory." Luan laughed.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne began to avoid the glaze nostrils, Luan and Lily by making a full circle around the arena. The two agents continue to dodge Luan and the Octo-oven's attacks. As the Octo-oven shoot their bread out of the ovens and Ronnie Anne begins to climb. Luan, wanting to stop Ronnie Anne from attacking the Octo-oven again, throws Lily at Lincoln and she clutches herself onto Lincoln's head.

With Lincoln distracted, she climbs up the Octo-oven and stands toe to toe with Ronnie Anne. "I won't let you take our Zapfish!" Luan shouted. She starts sloshing Octarian Ink at Ronnie Anne, but she keeps missing the Octoling. She blends into her ink and sneak swims behind her. She takes her charger, whistles her attention, shoots her hypnoshades off her head. Luan falls back and falls off the Octo-oven.

Before she could hit the ground, Lincoln catches her with the same sponge that caught Clyde and Bobby. At the same time, he takes the hypnoshades off of Lily's head and smashes them on the ground. Ronnie Anne shoots the tentacle and jumps at a safe distance. "As you would say Luan, you're _toast_!" Lincoln chuckled. The Octo-oven's loaves of bread pops out looking burnt and the machine engulfs itself with light. Then, the machine explodes in turquoise ink leaving nothing but the zapfish it stole earlier. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne retrieve the Zapfish and return to their home base.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne carry the unconscious Luan and Lily back to Cuttlefish cabin. "What are the chances that Octavio got all your sisters?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Let's not try to think about the fact that an octopus is brainwashing my sisters," replied Lincoln. As they make it to Cuttlefish Cabin, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are welcomed with a couple familiar voices. "So, how's that old man you're helping?" Lincoln and Ronnie Anne look shocked to see Del, Ruta, Bobby, Clyde, and Sheldon the Horseshoe Crab, with their arms crossed and with malicious grins.

"Guys!" Lincoln cried. "How long have you known?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Long before you guys came to Inkopolis," replied Ruta. "We figured it out when Citra disappeared for a few days, and came back when the Great Zapfish returned to Inkopolis," said Del. "Agents 1 and 2 explained to us why their friend didn't tell them about her mission," said Bobby. "But, now we understand and agreed to keep this a secret," said Clyde.

Just then, Lily began to wake up and saw Lincoln with his stuffed rabbit in his hand. She started to cry her heart out, gaining the attention of the Squidbeak Splatoon and their friends. Lincoln had to calm her down somehow. He shows Lily his stuffed animal reminding her of her happiness. Lily looks to the stuffed animal but then looks to Lincoln holding on to it. She cries he heart out and hugs her Inkling brother, "Wincoln!" Lincoln hugs back and smiles. "She knows who I am guys!" Lincoln cried.

Luan suddenly opens her eyes slowly while the others were occupied with Lily's attention. She takes an extra plank board and prepares to defend herself. "Who are you, and where am I?!" She shouted. "It's okay Luan, we're your friends. And you're in a safe place." Clyde replied. "Clyde? Is that you?" She asked. "And me," said Bobby. "We found them!" Luan was confused, "Found who?" Lincoln and Ronnie Anne approach the confused Inkling and shined light on her answer. "More like _we_ found them, and then found you." Said Lincoln.

Luan looked in confusion, she stared at his smile, his eyes, and he stared back. "Luan, it's me, Lincoln. Your brother," said Lincoln. Luan widened her eyes and knew he was telling the truth. She smiled with glee and tears in her eyes, "Lincoln?" Lincoln smiled, "Is your flower still smelling fresh?" Luan looked for her joke flower in her backpack and set it up in her Inkling hairstyle. "Smell for yourself." Lincoln purposely walks up to her flower and she sprays her signature ink on Lincoln's face.

Lincoln laughed at her prank and Luan cried her heart out, "Lincoln! It is you!" She hugged her younger brother and squeezed him tight. "I missed you so much!" She cried. " I missed you too Luan," Lincoln replied. Lily soon joined in on the hug and the three Loud siblings shared their family moment. "So now what do we do?" Luan asked. "Me and Ronnie Anne are going to find the Great Zapfish, and the rest of our family," replied Lincoln. "While we do that, you and Lily are going to stay here at Cuttlefish Cabin until we return," said Ronnie Anne. " Don't worry, we'll look after them," said Bobby.

Thanks to the Zapfish Lincoln and Ronnie Anne obtained, they have enough power to travel to the second sector of Octo Canyon. "Agent 4 and 5, you have enough power to travel to Suction Cup Lookout," said Marie. "And I can help provide you guys with hero-style weapons for your journey," said Sheldon.

Luan and Lily were concerned, they just got their brother back and now he's walking into danger. But the two sisters, having lost Lincoln before, had to trust him before they lose him again. They agreed to stay behind with Lincoln's friends. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne take the launch pad, travel to Suction Cup Look Out and continued their mission to find the Great Zapfish.

**Well what do you know, Lincoln has found 2 out of his 10 sisters. What are the chances are all of them under the influence of Octavio's hypnoshades? Only one way to find out is to stay tuned to A Loud Splat!**


	7. Takotoika Rollers

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continue pursuing their quest on finding the Great Zapfish in Suction Cup Lookout. While they were out on their mission, Agents One and Two, along with the others came to the Lookout to set up a smaller base camp. Luan and Lily looked around to see their new surroundings. Bobby and Clyde took their attention to Sheldon, and help him modify different hero weapons. Del and Ruta took their attention to Lincoln's sisters with serious gazes.

Del decided to have a little chat with Ruta. "What's up, Del?" Ruta asked. Del took a deep breath. "I'm worried," he replied. "About Lincoln? There's no need to worry about him, he knows that-" Del interrupted, "I'm not worried about him now. I'm worried about what happens next."

He points to Luan and Lily looking across the landscape of Octo Canyon. "If his sisters are all brainwashed, and he rescues them, who's to say they won't make the same mistake again when they return home?" Ruta was still confused, "I wonder how and why they came to Inkopolis in the first place." "His sisters finding Inkopolis shouldn't matter now. What matters now should be that if his sisters are willing to move on from their bad luck fiasco. If not, Lincoln will always have a place with us."

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were clearing out a hideout full of Octarians when Lincoln's hero splattershot stopped shooting. He looks to his ink tank to see that it's not empty. "What's wrong with this thing!?" Lincoln continued to pound on his weapon until it cracked. "What's wrong Lame-O?" Ronnie Anne asked. "My gun is jammed and I just cracked it." Lincoln replied. "We'll have to get it looked at," said Ronnie Anne. The two reach the Zapfish only for Lincoln to damage the splattershot more. "Let's just get the Zapfish and return to base." Ronnie Anne said in a displeasing look.

The two return to the Lookout and find the group at their makeshift base camp. "I thought you guys were holding your ground at the outpost," said Lincoln. Agent 1 smiled, "We thought we could make more base camps while you guys are here." "Actually, I'm glad you guys are here," said Ronnie Anne. "Lincoln has a problem with his splattershot."

Lincoln gives his weapon over to Sheldon. He observes to find ink jammed, the rifle cracked, and the nostril loose. "Sorry to say, but this will take weeks to repair," he said. "How am I going to fight off the Octarians now?" Lincoln asked. "Don't you have any more splattershot rifles?" Sheldon quietly shook his head, "I have been working on something, but it could take a couple of days."

Sheldon walks to his weapons case and picks up a different weapon for Lincoln. "In the meantime, I think it would be great exercise if you got used to a different weapon." He pulls out a hero modified version of a Roller. "Use the hero roller while I get to work on the new splattershot." Lincoln looks to a bit of confusion, but decided to go along with it. The two agents returned to their quest, before Ruta and Clyde could say anything. "I sure hope he knows how to use that thing," said Clyde. "Me too," replied Ruta.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne move on to the next level to retrieve the next Zapfish. Along the way, Lincoln begins having trouble on how to use the Hero Roller. When he pulls the trigger, the roller begins to roll and throw ink around him. Every time he places the roller on the ground, the roller drags him across the ground. By the time they reach the final checkpoint to the Zapfish, Lincoln tries to fend off against the Octarians. But his lack of knowledge of using the roller got him splatted and re-spawned back to the checkpoint. Thankfully, they got the Zapfish and returned to the Lookout.

Lincoln returned feeling a bit upset not being useful earlier. "What's wrong Lincoln?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I just wish I knew how to use this roller, I felt like I was useless back there," replied Lincoln. Ronnie Anne looked back to their group and smiled. "Maybe someone from our group can help you." Lincoln looked to Ruta, Agent One,Clyde, and smiled.

While Ronnie Anne went off to get more Zapfish on her own, Lincoln was training with Ruta and Agent One. "Alright Agent 4, make sure you keep a firm grip on your roller," said Agent One. "Remember, you control the roller. The roller doesn't control you," said Ruta. Lincoln took a deep breath and began to spread ink over the Lookout. He struggled to keep his grip on the roller, and keeping his ink tank from being empty. But, thanks to his friends, he was able to use his roller properly.

Lincoln gave a smile, feeling more confident with his secondary weapon. "Thanks guys," he said. "What are friends for," said Agent One. Just then, Ronnie Anne comes back with another Zapfish in her hands and taking deep breaths. "Ronnie Anne, you okay?" Lincoln asked. "Yeah, but those Octolings were no joke compared to the other Octarians." Agent Two walked up, "Well, the most important thing is that you made it back with the Zapfish." Lincoln walked up to Ronnie Anne with a thumbs up.

The two see the kettle in the middle of the Lookout open up to their next destination. "You think you're ready to fight with your new weapon, Lame-O?" Ronnie Anne asked. Lincoln took his weapon in his hands and said, "I'm right behind you." The two jump into the kettle, ready for their next level.

The agents see another Zapfish in the middle of another open area. "What are the chances that this is another boss level?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Very high," replied Lincoln. The two reach the area just as another tentacle snatched the Zapfish and dragged it into the Octarian ink below. Within the ink crawled out what looked like a very large Octarian with more muscle. The Octarian has a heavyweight and round body that is similar to a sumo wrestler, small eyes, and sports a tentacle on the back of his head in a ponytail. He wears a black leather motorcycle jacket with golden embroidery on the sides and a print of DJ Octavio on the back. He wields a larger roller just like the one Lincoln has.

Lincoln stood with wonder, "Who is that?" "It's the Octo Samurai, he splats with honor," replied Agent One. "Proceed with caution." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne prepare themselves in a fighting stance. The Octo Samurai slams his roller down and it modifies itself as a motorcycle. "Careful, that's the latest in Octarian weapon technology! The Octocycle!" Sheldon cried.

As the agents dodged the Octarian's weapon, Lincoln took a quick look at the cycle and heard something familiar. But before he could look closer, Ronnie Anne splattered him with her charger. With the tentacle exposed, Lincoln used his roller to attack. "Ronnie Anne! I just saw realized something," he cried. "What is it Lincoln?" She asked. "The Octarian's roller. The modifications, the sounds it makes , it's just like-"

Before Lincoln could continue, the Octo Samurai respawns and shoots two lumps from his back. The lumps land in front of them reveal to be one young Inkling and one young Octoling. The Inkling is shown with a shade of pink wearing black shorts and a tiara on her head. The Octoling is shown with a shade of blue wearing black shorts and a red baseball cap on her head. Both the younglings are wearing hypnoshades Octavio uses to brainwash them.

"Now it makes sense," thought Lincoln. Ronnie Anne was stunned, "Lincoln, is that-" "It's Lana and Lola!" Lincoln cried. "No wonder the Octocycle sounded just like Vanzilla." The twins looked ready to fight, "You are outnumbered!" Lola exclaimed, "Three against two!" "Once we're done with you, I'll make sure our Octo Oven is fully functional again," said Lana. The twins jump to attack the two, only for Lincoln to use his roller and swat them away.

"I'll keep the twins at bay, you take care of the Octo Samurai," said Ronnie Anne. "Okay, just don't hurt them too bad," said Lincoln. The two split up and fight against their opponents. The Octo Samurai and Lincoln clang rollers together like actual swords. Ronnie Anne just kept the twins occupied by dragging them away from the fight.

When the Octo Samurai respawned again, his Roller remodified itself again. "Ha! Now our Octarian ally can perform his spin attacks," said Lana. Lincoln, hearing his sister's statement backed up before the Octo Samurai could perform his spin attack. Lincoln need to make a plan and fast. He watched his moves and tactics for sometime while helping Ronnie Anne fight off the twins. "I have a plan," said Lincoln. "Playtime's over!" Ronnie Anne headlocks both the twins, snatches off their hypnoshades, and smashes them to pieces, rendering the twins unconscious.

Lincoln took a glance at his surroundings and then focused on the Octo Samurai. He runs ahead to splatter ink and slow the samurai down. The Samurai uses his spinning technique to keep Lincoln at bay, but is still standing in Lincoln's ink. Lincoln surrounds the samurai with his ink and splats him multiple times. Then, to deliver the final blow, Lincoln hides in the ink and leaps behind the samurai. The Samurai looks behind him just when Lincoln splats him with his roller. Then, Lincoln splats the tentacle again ending the Samurai's mission of stopping the agents. The two agents retrieve the Zapfish and return to the Lookout.

Back at the Lookout, Bobby, Luan, and Clyde were playing with Lily. Del and Ruta were quietly talking to each other and Agents One and Two waited for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne to return. They finally see the agents return with two more of the Loud sisters and another Zapfish.

"Well done, Agents," said Agent Two. "Guess you found more of Agent Four's sisters," said Agent One. Luan and Lily look to see Lincoln with two of his sisters. "Who are they, Lincoln?" Luan asked. "Luan, these two are Lana and Lola," replied Lincoln.

The twins started to wake up slowly, unaware of where they are. They started freaking out, "Hey! Back off! Who are you guys?! What's going on?" Lana looks to a window to see a reflection of herself. "Why do I look like an octopus?" Lana asked. "What? Lana? Is that you?!" Lola asked. "Yeah I… Lola, is that you?" Lana replied.

Lola walks up to the window reflecting her twin sister to look at herself. She screamed her head off, "AAAAAHHHHHH!" Then she started crying, "I'm a hideous looking squid!" Lincoln seeing his confused young sister made him spring into action. "Maybe I can help you," he said. Unaware of who Lincoln is, Lola was hesitant, "How can you make me look more beautiful than this?" Lincoln smiled, "I can't change you from a squid to a human, but I can do something. Agent One, do you have a makeup kit somewhere?" Agent One smiled, "Ooh, I have just what you need."

As Lincoln got to work on Lola's squid look, Lana kept a close eye on Lincoln. "He's still got it Lana," said Luan. Lana was shocked, "How do you know my name?" Luan smiled, "You 'cap' hide what you 'cap' seek!" As she and Lily laughed, Lana smiled, "Luan, Lily, is that you?" Luan nodded. "Then that means…" Lana looks to her sister looking prettier. Seeing the mysterious Inkling touching her up the same way Lincoln touched her up for her beauty pageants made Lana produce a tear from her right eye. "Lincoln?"

"Almost...and done," said Lincoln. Agent One gives Lola her mirror and she smiles. "I look like a beautiful squid! How did you know what to do?" Lola asked. "It takes a brother and a pageant coach to know how to make his sister feel like a princess." Lola stood in shock and then looked over to the smiling Inkling. "Lincoln?" Lincoln nodded.

Lana ran up, wanting to hug her long lost older brother. "Lincoln! You're alive!" She jumped up and cried on his chest. Lola at first was a little hesitant, at first she didn't want to touch him because she thought he was bad luck back home. But, the amount of time he spent missing, made her realize that no matter what, Lincoln will always be her brother.

Putting aside her thoughts about the bad luck incident, she joined in on the hug. "Lincoln! I'm so happy to see you. We all thought you were gone." "I'm okay you two," said Lincoln. "And so are Bobby, Clyde, Luan, and Lily." The twins look over to see them waving at them. "Where are we?" asked Lana. "We, along with the others, are in the world of Inkopolis," replied Lincoln. "What's Inkopolis?" Lola asked. "We'll gladly fill you in on the details," said Del. "Those two Inklings are Del and Ruta. They are the ones who took care of me the last four months," said Lincoln

Before Lincoln could say anything else, another launchpad has opened up thanks to the power of the Zapfish they caught. Lincoln like before, asked Del, Ruta, Bobby, Clyde and Luan to look after the twins while they move onto the next location. Lana and Lola grew worried about what's going on, but Lincoln assured them that he will be okay. Wanting their brother back home, they agreed to stay behind for him. With the twins staying with the group, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne launch their way to Beaker's Depot.

"Something's not right Callie," said Marie. "What do you mean?" Callie asked. "It's not like Octavio to recruit young Inklings and Octolings." Marie replied.

**Four down, six to go. Thanks to his friends, Lincoln is learning to use his new roller weapon. And because of his new set of skills, he was able to rescue his young twin sisters. Now heading to Beaker's Depot, what else is there in store for our fresh agents? What are Del and Ruta discussing about earlier? And who's going to be rescued next? Until next time. Stay Fresh! Don't get cooked...Stay Off the Hook!**


	8. Stomp, Charge, and Roll!

At Beaker's Depot, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne scout the area and shoot ink to locate the next batch of kettle entrances. Lincoln continues to grow fond of his Hero Roller, "I think I have found my choice of weapon for hero matches." Ronnie Anne uses her Hero Charger to shoot at the grappling hooks scattered across the area.

Both agents looked at each other from a distance and waved. Ronnie Anne quickly drew her weapon and decided to shoot at Lincoln with her charger. The resulting shot splattered ink all over Lincoln. The two friends laughed at Ronnie Anne's surprising joke. "Gotcha, Lame-O!" Ronnie Anne shouted." "Next time, I'll be on a roll," said Lincoln.

The two hear familiar laughter coming from the center of the Depot. They spot Agents 1,2, Bobby, Clyde, Del, Ruta, and the four rescued Loud sisters. The two ride the rails to meet up with the group. "What's up guys?" asked Lincoln. "We're just here to watch over the Zapfish you two collect here." said Agent 2. "Besides, it gives us time to get to know your sisters," said Ruta as she ruffles Lana's hat. "I'm really liking your teammates, Lincoln," she said.

Lincoln smiled warmly at the sight of Ruta and his sisters getting along. However, he saw Del giving off a fake smile to a depressing glare. Lincoln grew concerned, and walked up to him. "You okay Del?" he asked. Del was lost in space staring at his sisters. He called his name again, getting his attention. Del regains his focus and turns to the fresh inkling.

"Sorry, Inklon. What's up?" Del asked. "You've been very quiet ever since we rescued Luan and Lily. Is everything okay?" asked Lincoln. Del was worried, he couldn't tell Lincoln about his concern for what happens to him in the future. So he needed to make an excuse, "I'm just getting a bit uneasy. I've never been around so many girls other than Citra and Ruta." Lincoln looked down and came up with an idea. "Maybe if you could take the time to know them, I guarantee you they are okay."

Del grew very uneasy, but in order to keep Lincoln happy, he decided to take his advice and talk to Luan. Lincoln watches Del talking with Luan and gives him a thumbs up. Ronnie Anne attempts to scare him by swimming up behind him. But, Lincoln gets the upper hand by slamming his Roller in her face.

Ronnie Anne was shocked, but then burst out laughing. Lincoln and Luan laughed as well. "Now we're even." said Lincoln. "I don't play to get even." Ronnie Anne talked back. "Before you guys go at each other again, you two cuties have work to do." said Agent One. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne blush in embarrassment, while Luan, Lana, and Lola smirk. And so, the two run to one of the kettles and prepare to get the next Zapfish.

Del waves farewell to the two agents, just as Lily grabbed his ankle. He gives her a warm smile and picks her up. He takes her to the cliffside and looks to the horizon. He takes the time to remember Lincoln's story when he first arrived. He looks to Lily and talks to her, "Lily, do you still believe that your brother is bad luck?" Lily looks down, then looks up with a confused look on her face. Del chuckled, "Guess you're still too young to know what that is."

Agent Two walks up to them and gets their attention. "Enjoying the view?" she asked. Del turned to the agent and nodded. "I was hoping to discuss with someone about the fact that the Octarian bases are given a feminine touch. But, I think there's something else on your mind," said Agent Two. Del looked down and gave Lily to Clyde, "It's a long story, Agent Two. Do you want to hear it?" Agent Two, curious of what is eating up Del, nodded and listened carefully.

Meanwhile, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continue to search for the Zapfish. While waiting for a platform to come down, the two decide to pull off Agents One and Two's Charge-n-Roll technique. "Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Sure, we waited this long to attempt practicing this technique again." replied Lincoln.

He turns into his squid form and jumps onto Ronnie Anne's charger. Ronnie Anne aims steadily at the wall and fires the shot. Lincoln felt like he was flying like a speeding bullet. That is until he slammed into the wall before he could change back into his Inkling form. "You okay, Lame-O?" Lincoln supported his head with his hand, "Yeah, I'm okay. We should keep trying at it." "Sorry Lincoln, we don't have time to do this again," said Ronnie Anne. "We need to get the Zapfish while we have the chance."

Lincoln nodded, and continued to collect more Zapfish. They progressed with ease and power up the last kettle in the center of Beaker's Depot. The two agents get their weapons ready and jump into the kettle. Lincoln grew anticipated to fight the next Octo Weapon because of the possible chance that he would have to save two more of his sisters. But the question is: Who will be saved next?

The two spawn on the other side and jump to the boss arena. Before he could approach any further, Lincoln finds a book hiding under a loose metal tile. He picks it up and suddenly comes to a shocking realization. Then, the agents watch as the Zapfish gets taken by another tentacle and the next Octo Weapon rises from the light.

The Octo Weapon reveals itself as to be Octarian in the shape of a large cube with several layers on its Octotrooper-like face covered in purple ink. It has nine metal panels on most of the sides other than the front and bottom and has a hole on its back where a tentacle can grab Zapfish. It also has two Octarian feet that somehow are strong enough to make it jump.

"What is that?" asked Ronnie Anne. "I know that guy!" cried Agent One, over the headsets. "It's the mighty Octostomp!" "Octostomp? Didn't Agent 3 take him down years ago?" Sheldon asked. "I guess he's back for more." said Agent Two. "Go get him Agents, but be cautious." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne get in position to fight.

The mighty Octostomp begins to charge at the agents, but the agents dodged his attack before he slammed face down. The two spot the tentacle from above the downed weapon and Lincoln swings his Roller splattering ink on its side. Lincoln swims up and slams down on the tentacle.

The two agents regroup away from the Octostomp as he equips himself with a neo coated armor. As the Octostomp gets up, something pops out on the top of his head. The device turns out to be a splatling gun, and the gunner gives off a familiar voice. "Say hello to my not-so-little friend."

Recognizing the lisps voice, Lincoln uses Ronnie Anne's scope to see the gunner to be a small Octoling. The Octoling is coated with a lime green skin and wearing Octavio's hypnoshades. Lincoln stood in shock, "Lisa? Guess the weapon makes sense after the snow days we spent back home." "I hope you two like the coating I gave Octostomp here," said Lisa. "It's a special Neo-coating that can't be penetrated with your viscous substance so easily."

As Lisa began firing at the two agents. Ronnie Anne communicates to Agents One, Two, and Sheldon. "This coating looks tough. Got any ideas on how to stop him?" "That neo coating, created by that Octoling, must have a way to remove it. Octarians often need to repair their weapons to keep them fit in a fight." said Sheldon.

Ronnie Anne looks carefully at the Octostomp and finds a plastic black belt buckle securing the armor. 'That buckle looks like it's holding the armor together.' she thought. She aims her charger at the belt buckle and fires. The resulting blast removes the coating all together and flings Lisa into the air.

Lincoln rushes off to catch her sister, and destroys her hypnoshades as he catches her. The Octostomp charges at Ronnie Anne, and again, slams face on as she dodges out of the way. She snipes the tentacle and retreats back to Lincoln. "How's Lisa doing?" she asked. "She's out cold, but she's okay." replied Lincoln. "But it's not over yet. Another one of my sisters is here, so be on your guard." Ronnie Anne nods just as the Octostomp got back up.

The Octostomp prepares another neocoat of armor, but this time it has a special surprise. This armor included two more faces on the opposite sides of the Octostomp. Dodging from either side of the weapon became challenging. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne needed to make a plan and fast. Just then, Agent Two gave them advice. "If dodging from the sides is not good, dodge backward."

The two agents look behind them to find lower ground, just before the Octostomp could squish them. "Ronnie Anne, see if you can try to hit the Octostomp from here." said Lincoln. "What about you?" she asked. "I've got another sister to save." Lincoln takes his Roller and scours the whole perimeter.

Ronnie Anne shoots the buckle from below the Octostomp with ease and swims up to face him. Ronnie Anne, like before, dodges the Octo Weapon and shoots the tentacle for a second time. The Octostomp, having been hit again, begins to glow green as his legs wind up at a fast pace. When the winding stopped, the Octostomp exploded.

Meanwhile, Lincoln continues to roll ink around the perimeter to get his other sister to come out of hiding. "I know you're around here somewhere." he said. "There's no point in hiding." He carefully looks around and takes a deep breath. He puts on his goggles and closes his eyes.

His plan was to hear his sister sneak up on him, only for his plan to work. He opens his eyes and swings his roller behind him, hitting a young inkling in the process. The resulting swing knocked the hypnoshades clean off and the inkling fell unconscious.

Lincoln removes the goggles from his eyes and smiles, "Gotcha, Lucy." Yep, that inkling was Lucy alright. She is shown as an eight-year-old Inkling with black as her signature ink color. Her hairstyle is banger that reaches below her line of sight like in Royal Woods. She wears a white t-shirt to balance the darkness of her inkling self. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne recover the Zapfish, Lisa, and Lucy and return to Beaker's Depot.

Back at Beaker's Depot, the group waited patiently for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne to return. Their patience is well rewarded when they returned with another Zapfish and two more of Lincoln's sisters. Lisa and Lucy slowly wake up, unaware of their surroundings.

"Ugh… What kind of freaky location did I stumble into now? This isn't my makeshift lab." Lisa asked. "You're in a location called Beaker's Depot, among friends," said Agent One. Lisa looked around and saw her sisters in Inkling and Octoling forms. "My theory was correct!" She cried. "I knew that being transported into another dimension would alter our appearances to blend into the environment."

Suddenly, something started beeping rapidly in Lisa's pocket. "What is it Lisa?" Lola asked. "My tracking device is on the fritz," Lisa replied. "I set it to track only Lincoln the last four months. He must be here!" "You don't have to look far, Lisa." Lisa turns around to find the source of the familiar voice. Standing above her, and her tracking device beeping until it's one long beep, was her long lost brother, Lincoln.

Lincoln kneeled to give his genius sister a hug. "Normally I don't condone human emotions, but in this case," Lisa gave Lincoln a long caring hug. At the same time, Lucy started looking around the Depot. "Wicked," she blurted out. Lana and Lola run up to hug their goth sister. "Lucy, we're glad you're okay." "Glad I could sense your presence, you two. But I also sense something else."

Lucy looked around to find the familiar sense, and found Lisa being hugged by someone familiar. "I think it's my presence you sense." Lucy's jaw opened as if someone pierced her heart over and over again. But pierced it in a good way, because seeing her brother made her feel happy ten times over. "Lincoln!" Lucy's voice at that time, sounded like there was a hint of emotion.

She ran over to hug her long lost brother, squishing Lisa in between. "I'm glad to see you're okay Lucy," said Lincoln. "I have always dreamt of making things right between us, if ever you were found," said Lucy breaking off the hug. "I even made this poem, just for you."

She takes a piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolds it to reveal a poem she made during Lincoln's absence from home. He reads it silently, and smiles at Lucy. "You've put so much love into this poem." The two hug again, and Lincoln decides to keep the poem in his pocket.

The Loud sisters, and Lincoln's friends looked happy seeing the two siblings hug. Then, Lana broke the silence, "So when you went up against the Octostomp, you knew that two more of our sisters were with it too." Lincoln nodded, "But I was aware I was going up against Lucy. I didn't even think Lisa would be with her, but I somehow knew I was going up against her. That's why I was on my guard the whole time, while Ronnie Anne was fighting the Octostomp."

Ruta walked up to Lincoln, "How could you know you were up against Lucy?" Lincoln took a deep breath and smiled with pride. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out the book he found in the arena. It was a Princess Pony book, and it looked waterlogged.

While Del and Ruta were a little confused, Luan, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily laughed. "What's so funny?" Sheldon asked. "It's Lincoln's Princess Pony book from back home." Lana replied. "Our male sibling used that book to clog the only toilet we got in our house," said Lisa. "This was from the time Lucy and I spent tracking down who clogged the toilet. She helped me track down the criminal, which turns out to be me."

While the sisters were laughing, Del looked over to Lincoln to see that, even though he was blushing in embarrassment, he knew he was lying. He knew he was trying to protect someone from ridicule from his family. Only question is: Who?

Then the laughter suddenly halted when, "It's Not Lincoln's!" Everyone took their attention to the goth inkling. Even Lincoln stood in shock, wondering why she would deny his statement. She took a deep breath, knowing that there's no going back. "It's mine." This made everyone very confused. But Del gave an understanding smile, for he knew she was telling the truth.

"It can't be. It's impossible. You hate cute things, you hate princesses, even bright colors like pink!" Lola said. "Sometimes, I need a break from the darkness." Lucy implied. "It can't be accurate," said Lisa. "Human life can have inaccurate results, Lisa." Del said with an understanding tone, "I believe that Lucy is telling the truth."

Luan realizes that too with an unexpected shock. "Then, that means…" Lucy nodded, "I was the one who clogged the toilet that day." She points to Lincoln, "...And Lincoln took the blame because he claimed he could take it. But after what happened all those months ago, I can't take this lie anymore." Lana stood with sadness, "We all thought it was Lincoln, when it was actually you?" Lucy nodded with guilt.

Lincoln went up to hug Lucy, then along came the other Loud sisters. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that humiliation, Lincoln," said Clyde. "It's what brothers do, they look out for their siblings, and love them no matter what," said Lincoln. "We're so sorry we blamed you Lincoln," said Lana. "It doesn't matter anymore, but I accept your apology," said Lincoln.

"It should matter," said Luan. "We blamed you for something you didn't do, and you took the blame to save Lucy's reputation." "I believe that it's best to agree that from now on, we shouldn't assume that whenever something bad happens, you don't get blamed without proper evidence," said Lisa. "Can we agree on that Lincoln?" asked Lola. Lincoln smiled, "We sure can sis."

This display of maturness made Del smile with glee. But, that was only a little weight lifted from what's going on in his head. As the Loud siblings hugged, the power from the Zapfish Lincoln and Ronnie Anne collected gave them enough power to travel to Slimeskin Garrison. Lincoln asked Lisa and Lucy to stay close to his sisters while they move to the next location.

The two agree and watch as Lincoln and Ronnie Anne jump away. Only for Del to jump shortly after them. Bobby and Clyde grew with concern, "What's up with Del?" asked Bobby. "I don't know," replied Clyde. "I think he has the 'big brother' look on his face."

**And so, our Loud Owl and Raven were rescued from the clutches of the dreaded DJ Octopus. Good thing Lincoln found that Princess Pony book Lucy dropped, otherwise they would've been toast. With their mission almost coming to a close, Del began showing concerns about Lincoln. Whatever he's got going on in his head, he has to get it out. Hope it's not too bad. But until next time: Staaaay Fresh!**


	9. Shower Time!

A Loud Splat

Chapter 9 - Shower Time!

With another step closer to finding the Great Zapfish, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne jump to their next destination: Slimeskin Garrison. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne look at each other and smile with glee. They also see that their ink colors went from turquoise to green. The two came a long way in the last four to five months they've been in Inkopolis. And with only six sisters saved, Lincoln felt like he was getting closer to going home.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne begin searching for the kettles in the Garrison, when Ronnie Anne came up to him. "Hey, Lame-O," she said. "After we get the Great Zapfish back, and rescue the rest of your sisters, what are we going to do next?" Lincoln looked to the sky, filled with hope. He could find his sisters and return home, but for some reason he felt down. "I don't know, maybe we'll know once we get close to the end," he replied.

Before the two agents could find the rest of the kettles, they spot Del looking at Lincoln with a serious look on his face. Ronnie Anne looked to Lincoln, "You should go over there. It looks like he needs to talk to you." Lincoln nods, and Ronnie Anne continues to look for the rest of the kettles. Lincoln makes his way to the center of the Garrison and finds Del waiting for him.

Lincoln's emotions grew concerned for Del. "What's wrong Del?" Lincoln asked. Del takes a deep breath, "We need to talk." Then, Del sits down looking to the horizon. Lincoln sits down too, wanting to talk with Del. "A lot has been eating up my mind lately," he said. "About what?" Lincoln asked. "About you, Lincoln Loud," Del replied.

Lincoln was stunned, but listened to what Del had to say, "In the months I've gotten to know you, I have seen something within you." Lincoln leaned in to listen closely. "A wonderful, kind-hearted, organized, and responsible brother." Lincoln smiled. "And that's why I'm worried about you." Lincoln was surprised to hear him say that. "Del, you don't have to worry. Once we get the Zapfish back, Splatfest will resume and- " Del interrupted him by saying,"This isn't about Splatfest, this is about what happens next!"

Lincoln continued to listen, "When you make a mistake, what is the right thing to do?" Del asked. Lincoln looked down to find the answer, then looked up to answer Del. "You admit to your mistake, reflect that mistake, share what you learned, and apologize." Del nodded, "That's right. And that's what I'm worried about."

Lincoln was confused, "What do you mean?" "Who's to say that your sisters may not learn from all this?" said a familiar voice. The two Inklings turn and see Ruta behind them. "I may be messy at times Lincoln, but even I learn to clean up after myself." She walks up to the two, and sits down next to Lincoln. "This whole Luck fiasco shook you down, and we could tell they almost made you lose sight of who you are."

Lincoln looked sad, "It was a terrible experience." Del had to keep him focused. "And that's why we can't let this happen to you again." Lincoln looks to Del. "What your family did is unacceptable, but that event is long done. Before you leave we want to make sure that your sisters won't pass on this experience like it never happened. Because if they do, they'll make the same mistake again. And we might not be around to save you. We want to make sure that before you leave, that you and your sisters are willing to move forward."

Lincoln looked down with realization, for he knew that Del was right. For so long, his sisters have made many mistakes in the past. And sometimes, he pays the price for their mistakes. As much as he wanted to go home now, he realized that his time apart made him a bigger man. There comes a time when we all have to grow up, and never forget the lessons we learn in our lives. Even if they are cruel to remember. Lincoln pondered over this for quite some time.

Until, Lincoln looks up to his Inkling teammates, "You're right guys." Del and Ruta smiled. "What do you propose we do?" Lincoln asked. "We find the rest of your sisters, and the Great Zapfish for the time being," said Del. "Then, before Splatfest begins, we can decide if your sisters are willing to move on."

Lincoln gives a positive determined look, "No. After Splatfest, then we can decide." Del and Ruta look surprised, "I owe you guys that much for taking me in, when no one else would." Then, the Inklings smiled. "You guys are like a second family to me," said Lincoln. "Okay, though I'm sure that Lisa could find a way back to your home in a matter of seconds," said Ruta. "Who knows, maybe we could have more competition if more people from your home come to ours," said Del.

Lincoln hugged his Inkling teammates and came up with a new plan. "Okay, after we save the rest of my sisters and the Great Zapfish, we can hang until the end of Splatfest. If during that time my sisters prove that they are willing to move on, we'll be on our way to Royal Woods." "If your sisters truly love you, they'll watch you play in Splatfest," said Ruta. "This plan has to work with all, not a majority, of your sisters. Understand, guys?" Del asked.

The three Inklings high five in agreement, just as Ronnie Anne came back with another Zapfish. "What's going on guys?" Ronnie Anne asked. "We were just going over what's going to happen next with me and my family." Lincoln replied. "About what to do, now that you're finding your sisters?"

Lincoln nodded, "My team and I agree that if all my sisters are willing to move on from the Luck fiasco, we can go home as a family." "And if not all of them..?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Then, consider my second home here. At least you know where to find me," said Lincoln. Ronnie Anne smiled, "It'll be enough to know that you're happy, wherever you might be. You grew up for sure, Lame-O."

The two head on to the next kettle just as Lincoln's friends, sisters, and Agents One and Two arrive. "I take it you told him your concerns?" Agent One asked. "I sure did," replied Del. "Now I feel like the weight on my chest has been lifted." Agent One smiled, "So, you're a huge Squid Sisters fan?" Unaware of her real identity, Del immediately answered yes.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne keep on fighting Octarians for the Zapfish scattered all over the Garrison. Knowing they draw closer and closer to the finish line. Eventually, they have collected enough Zapfish to open the last kettle that holds another Octo weapon. The two enter the kettle and see the Zapfish from a distance.

"Be on your guard, Ronnie Anne," said Lincoln. "You don't have to tell me for a fourth time," she replied. The two make their way to the puddle of Octarian ink and see the Zapfish being snatched by another tentacle. Then they see, out from the glowing light, the next Octo Weapon.

This Octo Weapon appears to be an enormous robot, vaguely shaped like a brass-and-copper shower head. The structure of it is rather simple, consisting of a number of metal protrusions hanging from the bottom of a slanted, blue ring that tops the machination, shaped somewhat like a shower cap, with the most prominent features of its chassis being its two enormous, circular optics on the front of it, covered by grates, that constantly glow red. Above the weapon's 'eyes' are two small square vents that also glow red, partially obscured by its cap. Steam will blow out of these during certain actions, such as preparing an attack or recovering from being knocked to the ground. Resting on the Weapon's cap is a single, small, yellow rubber duck. This Octo Weapon is called the Octo-Shower

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne ran as fast as they could to avoid getting splatted. They look to their enemy to find any weak points. "What should we do Ronnie Anne?" asked Lincoln. Ronnie Anne looks to the Octocopters and comes up with an idea. "I'll take down the copters, you splatter the tentacle as it comes down." Lincoln nods and waits for Ronnie Anne to strike.

Ronnie Anne uses her charger to get up to higher ground. She swims high enough to shoot down the three octocopters and make the Octo Shower fall. With the tentacle exposed, Lincoln takes his roller and slams the tentacle down. The tentacle bursts open and the two agents retreat.

The Octoshower calls for more octocopters to accompany it to the fight. Along with them, was someone else. It was another Inkling brainwashed by Octavio. But this one is a full mature Inkling. This Inkling is equipped with Octarian Armor, and a Splat-Brella. This Inkling's signature color is seafoam green, but equipped with Octarian Ink. "Oh my cod. How could you Octavio?" Lincoln said in a firm voice. The Inkling who stands before him and Ronnie Anne, is Leni Loud.

"I gotta admit, Octavio's impressed you were able to make it this far," Leni said. "Like, I sure am. But this is where your journey ends." Leni takes her Splat-Brella and fires at the two agents. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne then look to see that the Octo Shower has equipped itself with a splattling gun. "Guess Lisa worked ahead of time," said Lincoln. "You got that right, Lame-O," said Ronnie Anne.

"Stick to the plan, and take that shower cap down!" said Lincoln. "Be careful," said Ronnie Anne. Lincoln grinned, "Aim for the shades, remember?" And with that Ronne Anne made her way to fight the Octo Shower once again. As for Lincoln, he had to keep Leni at bay. He lured his second eldest sister away from the Octo Shower and at some cover to avoid the Splat-Brella.

Lincoln took a stance with his roller and shifted to his right waiting for an opening. "Leni, I know you're in there. This isn't like you, I know who you are. You may be dim witted most of the time, but you know more than you realize. I know you would say that this outfit you're wearing ain't your style. Because you are a fashionista, my sister. " As she quickly drew her Splat-Brella again, the Octo Shower charged at them, dropping Octarian ink on Leni. Lincoln dodged just in time, then took a swing at Leni's hypnoshades.

Leni falls unconsciously, but gets caught by Lincoln and dragged to a safe distance. "I'll come back for you after I'm done with that machine," he said. He looks over to the fight, to see Ronnie Anne shoot the last Octocopter. He raced over to the Octo Shower to slam down onto the tentacle again. The two jump to a safe distance, and watch the Octo Weapon get more Octocopters to carry it.

Then out of nowhere, a mysterious Octoling jumps from one of the Octocopters and in front of Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. This Octoling is shown to have a ponytail hairstyle with different shades of sky blue. She is equipped with an octarian outfit, same as Leni, but with seaweed strands attached to her head. She is also equipped with an ink brush as her weapon of choice. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stood in shock, they had a pretty good idea who they were fighting next.

"Lori?" Lincoln asked. "Time to end this little game," Lori announced as she prepared to swing her ink brush. The two dodge her attack just as the Octo Shower prepared to fire the Sting Ray at them. "Dang it, those Octolings really like Lisa's work." said Ronnie Anne. "They really don't want to give up the Great Zapfish so easily," said Lincoln.

The two then decide to proceed with their plan. Lincoln began to distract Lori, while Ronnie Anne took a chance to fire at the Octocopters. Lincoln and Lori kept swinging their weapons at each other, without giving them a chance to hit them. She spared no word, and neither did Lincoln. She looks to Ronnie Anne, who is down to shooting one more Octocopter, and throws a mist bomb at Lincoln. The resulting bomb forced him to slow down, while Lori goes after Ronnie Anne.

Before Ronnie Anne could shoot the last Octocopter, Lori swooped in and slammed her ink brush, splatting her back to the spawn point. With only one spawn point left, Lincoln stayed on his guard. He needed to come up with a way to take down the last Octocopter and Lori. "Hang in there Lincoln, I'm going to get help," Ronnie Anne said over the headset. Lincoln was alone at that very moment.

'What am I going to do, I usually have someone to back me up,' Lincoln thought. He looked at his surroundings. He looks to the last octocopter and then quickly glances at Lori standing on top of the tallest peak in the arena. 'I have to take down Lori using the element of surprise. After I defeat her, I'll only have a short amount of time to take down the last octocopter to retrieve the Zapfish. This sounds like a one shot deal, but it's the only way.'

Lincoln decided to put his plan into action. He quietly throws an ink bomb to confuse the Octoshower, knowing that he can't hide from the weapon. Then he takes to his ink quietly by swimming up to the peak. Just when he thought he could surprise Lori, she wasn't there. But, she got the drop on him by pinning Lincoln down as the Octoshower spotted them.

"Did you literally think it was going to be that easy?" Lori asked. "Like I was going to give you the slip by letting you come up here to surprise me. Kinda ashamed that all that progress was for nothing." Lincoln looks to his sister, then to the Octoshower who prepared the spattling gun. Lori takes her ink brush preparing to splat him next. "Any last words?"

Lincoln looks to see a red dot in the middle of the hypnoshades. He grins and says, " Say 'cheese', Lori." Then, out of nowhere, a charger fired from a distance, hitting Lori's hypno shades and knocking her off the peak. Lincoln had to act fast, so he threw his ink bomb at the Octocopter, resulting in the Octoshower falling down to the ground. Before Lori could hit the ground, Ronnie Anne catches her from below. Lincoln takes his roller and slams it down on the exposed tentacle. The Octo shower tries to call for more octocopters, but no response. Then, the octoshower explodes exposing the Zapfish.

Lincoln takes the Zapfish and goes back for Leni. Ronnie Anne soon reaches the two Louds. "Nice shot, Ronnie Anne," said Lincoln. Ronnie Anne grinned, "Oh, that wasn't me." She points over to the other side of the arena revealing Bobby was the one who took the shot. Lincoln was surprised, "Bobby?!" Bobby takes a deep breath, "No one. Takes. My girlfriend. And uses her. To hurt my bro." Lincoln smiles and gives Bobby a high five.

The three make it back to Slimeskin Garrison, finding the others waiting for them. Clyde was freaking out over the sight of Lori being found, acting like an out of control robot. "Is he okay?" asked Agent Two. "Clyde has a huge crush on my sister, it shouldn't be a surprise," said Lincoln. Agent Two nodded and looked over to the two unconscious sisters.

"Now we only have a few Zapfish left to find until we can find the Great Zapfish," said Agent One. "And let's not forget, we need to find our last two sisters," said Lola. Before they could speak any more, Leni started to wake up. "Ugh… What happened?" The group looked to see her waking up and Lisa approached her cautiously, "Leni, you need to stay calm." Leni looks down and screams, "EW! Gross, a talking octopus!"

Leni started freaking out, and Lincoln and the others had to keep her under control. "Leni, calm down, you're safe here," said Clyde. "I am?" she asked. "Strange, like, you sound just like Lincoln's friend, Clyde." "That's because I am Clyde, and I'll prove it." Clyde takes out a photo of himself dressed as a spider. "One Halloween, you sprayed me with bug spray because you thought I was a spider." Leni looks at the photo and opens her jaw, "OM Gosh, you're right!"

Then, Lincoln approached Leni. "It's okay Leni, we may look different here. But deep down, it's still us." Leni, hearing her little brother's voice, turned to the green Inkling showing a smile on his face. Her eyes started to tear up, "L-L-Lincoln?" Lincoln takes her hands and says, "Look into your heart Leni, then look into my eyes. You really think I'm your brother, Lincoln Loud?" Leni, after taking his advice seriously, cries with joy and hugs Lincoln. "Linky! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Lincoln hugs back, only to hear her sobbing. "What's wrong, Leni?" "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!" Her constant crying couldn't keep her from making any more sentences. But Lincoln was able to piece together what happened. In her crying, she tried to explain that she didn't know that he wasn't in the squirrel suit when they left the beach, and just assumed he was in it, like she was an idiot.

That's when Lincoln calmed her down, "Shh, shh, hey don't say that you're an idiot Leni, because you're not. You know why?" Leni sniffled, "Why not?" "Because you found me! It doesn't matter if you were dim witted most of the time, or all of the time. What matters is that our bond is strong enough to know that we love each other no matter what. Even when we make mistakes, the love we have for each other never changes." Leni sniffled with a smile on her face, "So.. you're not mad at me?" Lincoln hugged his sister again, "I was never mad at you."

As the two hugged, that's when Lori started to wake up. Lincoln looks to see that Clyde is in front of her. "Clyde, don't turn around." "Why not, Lincoln?" Clyde asked. "Ugh. I literally have the worst headache of my life!" said Lori. Lincoln knew it was too late, and Clyde spewed yellow ink through his nose. "Why is my blood yellow?!" "In Inkopolis, we're mostly made up of ink," said Ruta.

Lincoln walked up to his sister and smiled. "Ugh, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked. Lincoln just glared with a grin. "Stop it with the staring. I literally mean it!" Then, Lincoln spoke up, "Or what? Are you going to turn me into a human pretzel like you always tell me?" Lori stood in shock, that voice she heard felt like a thousand volts in her chest, and her heart was about to explode.

"Lincoln?" was the only word Lori could muster in this new situation. Lincoln smiled, "Yes Lori, it's me." Lori still couldn't believe her eyes, but she knew somewhere deep down that the Inkling was her missing brother. "Lincoln! You're alive!" Lori instantly hugged Lincoln, and he graciously accepted it.

"Babe! You're okay!" Bobby cried. Lori looked to see Bobby in his octoling form. "Boo-boo bear!" Not wanting to let Lincoln go from their hug, she kept her embrace until Lincoln let go. "Wow, Bobby I'm liking the new look." "It kinda suits me around here," Bobby said as he slicked his tentacles back.

"Bobby was a great shot at saving my life," said Lincoln. "You saved my brother?! Thanks Bobby!" Lori cried. "Actually, Lincoln found me and Clyde first," said Bobby. "I saved Lincoln by shooting at you." "YOU WHAT?!" Lori shouted. Starting to fume with anger, Lincoln had to calm Lori down.

"It's okay. You were brainwashed by Octavio." Lori, stunned by that claim, stopped herself. "You weren't acting like yourself, and you had me pinned to the ground. If it was the other way around would you have done the same thing?" She looked to Bobby, then back to Lincoln. "He saved my life. He even saved yours in the process."

Lori looks back to Bobby with a smile on her face, "Thank you, Boo-boo Bear." Bobby smiled back, "You're welcome, babe. I would do anything for your family." "Let's not put shooting at any of us on the list," said Lori. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that either," said Ruta.

The group laughed just as another launch pad opened up to possibly the last area of where the Great Zapfish could be. Lincoln, like the rest of his sisters, explained his situation to Lori and Leni and asked them to stay with the group while they continue gathering the Zapfish. Lori and Leni agree, and Lincoln places Lori in charge of their sisters. Considering the fact that Lori has what it takes to keep the Loud siblings in line, Lori smiled and wished Lincoln good luck.

Before Lincoln and Ronnie Anne jumped on the launch pad, Del and Ruta walked up to them. "You gonna be okay from here 'Inkoln?" asked Del. "I haven't forgotten what we've agreed on, guys," said Lincoln. "Whatever happens next, I'll always be proud of you, my brother," said Del.

Lincoln hugged his teammates, as Ronnie Anne smiled with pride. "Let's go Lame-O, the end is almost in sight!" Ronnie Anne cried. The two make their way to the launch pad and jump all the way to Cephalon HQ. "You think they're all going to move on from this Luck incident?" Ruta asked Del. "Only time will tell Ruta," replied Del. "Perhaps, sooner than we think."

Meanwhile, at a secret location, Octavio was admiring the Great Zapfish while a few Octarians were making modifications to his flying machine. "How are the modifications coming along?" he asked the Octarians. "Things are going accordingly well, sir," said the head foreman. "And with the Great Zapfish, you'll have the extra boost of energy you need against the Inklings."

Octavio was pleased to hear the news. "Hey boss! The second floor of your machine is done!" said one of the Octarians. "Excellent! My people will not be disappointed," said Octavio. Just then, an Octocopter came flying all shooken up. "Sir! Sir! It's the agents!" he cried. "What about them?" asked Octavio. "They just took down the Octoshower. And now they're on their way to Cephalon HQ!"

Octavio was shocked, but regained his composure. "Gather the rest of the Octarians, the Octolings, and do everything you can to stop those Agents." The octocopter did what he was told, and flew off. Octavio growled in anger, "Grrr, you may have gotten lucky, but we'll see who has the spotlight. Lincoln Loud!" As he climbs in his machine, two mysterious figures appear in front of him. "Let's get this show on the road."

**And there we have it! Eight down, two to go! Now it's no surprise that if you read this far and saw my comic, you would know that Luna and Lynn will be the last two sisters Lincoln has to save. I've actually planned this for a long time, maybe something more interesting in the future. Anyway, prepare your headphones for one musical showdown. For the next chapter is going to be dramatic, entertaining, exciting, and above all: LOUD! Until next time: Staaay Fresh! Don't get cooked! Stay Off the Hook!**


	10. Anata Wa Lincoln! The Final Battle!

In the depths of Octo Canyon, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne land at a place called Cephalon HQ. The last place where DJ Octavio could be hiding the Great Zapfish. The place was dark, powering floating platforms to get by the surrounding area. Standing below the area was a pool of purple ink. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne looked down, but didn't want to think that it was Inkling ink.

With only one spawn point left, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had to be careful from now on. Because they knew that if they got splat by the Octarians, they wouldn't respawn. The two look around the arena and find the kettles they need to enter to retrieve the last of the Zapfish. The two split up to save time to find the kettles, but before they could continue on, the two regrouped at the center of the area.

Lincoln looked at his roller with doubt, then looked at Ronnie Anne. "We're getting close to the end, Lincoln," said Ronnie Anne. "I can feel it." Lincoln gives off a small smile, "Yeah, we are." Ronnie Anne sees Lincoln's worried look on his face. "Don't chicken out Lame-O, we've come so far." "I know, and I'm worried," said Lincoln. "And you should be too."

Ronnie Anne couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Lincoln's mouth. He fought alongside her with ease, and now he is starting to have doubts of their success. "I can't believe I'm hearing this, Lame-O. Why worry all of a sudden, when we are close to the end?" Lincoln took a deep breath and said, "The closest adventure I can ever compare to this, is in one of my videogames." Ronnie Anne paid attention, knowing the next thing that he's going to say.

"In every game, the levels near the end get harder and harder, until you reach the boss level. In my experience, I lose all my lives until I reach the boss level. But then, when everything goes my way, Game Over!" Ronnie Anne looked down with concern, because they knew that he was right. During their quest, they lost two of their spawn points, and only have one pawn point left. Without that spawn point, one of them won't return until the Great Zapfish comes back.

Lincoln takes a seat on the edge of the platform, and looks down into the pool of purple ink looking at a blurry reflection of himself. "If I can't beat the boss level in a video game, who's to say I can't beat Octavio in real life?" Ronnie Anne sits next to him and gives him a friendly punch. "Ow," exclaimed Lincoln. "I believe you can do it, Lincoln," said Ronnie Anne. "You know why?" "Why?" he asked. "Because I'm here with you," she replied.

"You know how I beat you every time we play Super Mega Brawlers Turbo Fighter?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Yeah. But, how is that supposed to make me feel better?" asked Lincoln. "Because, in every match, you last longer and longer against me," replied Ronnie Anne. "But this time, you're fighting with me." Lincoln looked at his blurred reflection and then looked to Ronnie Anne.

Lincoln never knew what to expect with Ronnie Anne. At times she can be very tough around the edges, like when she picks on him to secure her reputation as the tough girl. But there were also times that when she sees someone like a friend in trouble, she always finds a way to bring them back on their feet. She pumps them up and they feel reassured again, but she never asks for any gratitude.

Lincoln smiled at his friend, and gave her a friendly punch. Only not one as strong as her. "You're right, Ronnie Anne. And with you by my side, we can do anything." The two grip their hands and stand toe to toe. "And not DJ Octavio, or anyone else can stand in our way, because we are unstoppable," said Ronnie Anne.

The two make their way to the first kettle feeling confident in their skills as a team. And at the same time, Agents One and Two, Sheldon, and Lincoln's sisters, friends, and teammates arrive at Cephalon HQ. Lori, being the oldest in the bunch, kept her sisters together and made sure they didn't wander off from the area. Del and Ruta were talking to Bobby and Clyde about strategic moves on how to succeed in turf wars. All the while, Sheldon began working on Lincoln's newly upgraded Hero Splattershot.

Lisa gazed with magnificence at the floating platforms that wander the area. "I didn't think you would be amazed by this Lisa," said Lana. "I'm not, I'm just fascinated by the fact that a highly intelligent cephalopod could make all this in a short amount of time." Luan decided to shake things up by entertaining the group with her comedy skit.

While everyone listened to Luan's skit, Del was watching from afar with Agent One and Two. "You think they're okay?" asked Agent Two. Del slightly nodded, "They're okay, but I'm holding my judgement until all of his sisters are rescued." Del takes out his squid phone and puts music on. He gives the agents some space so that he could dance. "In the meantime…"

(Callie's single - Bomb Rush Blush)

The two Agents listen to what sounds like Callie's single: Bomb Rush Blush. "You like that song?" Agent One asked. Del smiled, "It's my favorite song. Sometimes when I dance to this, it feels like I'm really dancing with Callie." This made Agent One smirk with an idea, and decided to dance with him. Little did Del know Agent One was dancing to the melody the same way Callie was dancing.

The two continue to dance to the melody just as Del was about to lose the sequence. "Watch me," said Agent One. Del looks to Agent One's feet to see how she dances to the music. With careful observation, Del synchronizes his moves with her. Just as the song came to an end, Del trips on his footing and falls in front of Agent One. Out of humor, Agent One trips on purpose, landing on top of Del.

The two look at each other blushing, and then start laughing. "Where did you learn how to dance like Callie?" Del asked. "Let's just say I know her quite well." Agent One replied. Just as they got back up, another song began to start.

(Marie's Single - Tide Goes Out )

Agent One looks to Agent Two, and she just gives her a nod of approval. Del looks at the two with confusion, but shrugs it off. Then, Agent One asks, "Wanna dance with me?" Del smiled, "I thought we were already dancing." Then, he takes Agent One's hand and places his arm around her waist. "But, I know what you mean."

The two sway to the music and watch each other's footing. As the two get the hang of it, the two Inklings look at each other and give a smile while blushing. "You know, if I don't get the chance to be Callie's friend, I'm glad to have met you Agent One," said Del. Agent One's face eventually turns as red as a tomato and rests her head onto Del's chest. "I'm glad to have met you too Del, even though we only met a few days ago." Del smiled and remained quiet throughout the dance.

Bobby looks over to see Del and Agent One dancing, and asks Lori to dance. "Oh Boo-boo Bear, I thought you'd never ask," said Lori. The two join Del and the Agents and slow dance to the music. "I don't think I've ever seen you this happy in a long time," said Bobby. "Not since Lincoln was missing. But now that I know he's alive and well, things can go back to normal." Del looked at the couple after hearing her statement, 'Some things can never go back to normal,' he thought. 'You're brother is not the same boy he once was.'

Eventually, Clyde, Ruta, and the rest of the Loud Sisters came to dance with the others. Ruta began dancing with Clyde, just for the fun of it. "I know you think you wanted a chance with Lori," Ruta told Clyde. "But are you happy knowing how happy she is?" Clyde looks at Ruta with a grin and nods. "Yeah, I'm glad she's happy. Have you ever had a crush on someone?" Ruta looked up to the sky and said, "I don't know, not one Inkling boy has ever caught my eye."

Clyde looks to the ground and a sudden thought pops in his head. "Well, what about Inkling girls?" he asked. "Well there are some, but they could be just flukes." Clyde smiled, "Well I guess I now know what you're into." "You're okay with me liking girls?" Ruta asked. "I'm being raised by two dads. What's wrong with that?" Clyde replied. Ruta smiled and continued dancing with Clyde.

(Tide Goes Out Ends)

Meanwhile, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were on their way to retrieving the rest of the Zapfish. They continue to cross obstacles blocking their path, fight off the rest of the Octarian Army, and reach the end of the level by obtaining the Zapfish the Octarians obtained. During their progress Lincoln kept his wits about him and looked to Ronnie Anne for motivation.

With only one more Zapfish to obtain, Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and the rest of the group look at how many Zapfish have been collected. "Wow, 30 Zapfish collected and only one left to go." said Agent Two. Lisa takes a closer glance at one of the Zapfish and begins to analyze it. "Outstanding, these creatures bring out the fictional abilities of the Electrophorus electricus. Aka, the electric eel." Then, the Zapfish shoots a spark of electricity into Lori's phone, charging its battery to 100%. "I'm literally impressed," she said.

Ronnie Anne shoots the last kettle in the area, opening up the location of the last Zapfish. "Come on, Lame-O. It's Octoling splatting time!" she said as she entered the kettle. "Wish us luck, guys," said Lincoln as he dives in after Ronnie Anne. "Can Lincoln really do this?" asked Lola. "Your brother has won many turf wars in Inkopolis with us," said Ruta. "I believe that he can do this."

Then, Leni spoke up, "Like, what's Inkopilis?" Sheldon took a break from modifying the weapon and said, "Inkopolis is the hometown of all Inklings and Octolings." He takes out photos from his pocket and hands them out to the Loud Sisters. They gaze in amazement because some of the photos look vaguely familiar to them. "Some of the locations look like the landmarks from our home world." said Luan. "OMGosh, you're right Luan!" said Leni. "Like, that picture looks like Times Square, New York City."

While the Louds were looking at photos, Agent One and Two started getting a transmission from their headsets. "What is it, Agents?" asked Ruta. "I'm getting a signal," said Agent Two. "It's faint but let me just-" Just then, they hear a dark voice over the headset. "Agent One, Agent Two, and the rest of the Inksquirts your new recruits have retrieved. Those new agents of yours have done a fine job in saving the Zapfish, but soon it will be all for nothing."

Agent One knew who that voice was. "Octavio!" Del and Ruta were surprised to hear her say that. "What do you mean all for nothing?" Octavio laughed, "By now your agents are on their way to get the last Zapfish, but what they don't know was that a trap has been set for them." The agents, and the Bloopers were in shock. "Soon...You will not...Interfere...ANY LONGER!" Octavio laughed.

Del and Ruta grow anxious, while Agent One and Two try to contact Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. "Agent Four, Agent Five, do you copy?! This is a warning! Watch your back, Octavio set up a trap for you guys." All the two agents got in response was strong static. "Agent Four! Agent Five! Are you there!?" cried Agent Two. "Carp! The signal's jammed!" cried Callie. Del, Ruta, Clyde, Bobby, and the Loud Sisters were very worried. "I hope Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are okay," said Clyde. "Me too, Clyde. Me too," said Ruta.

Earlier before Octavio's message, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne make their way across the land where the Octolings guard the Mini-Zapfish. "Ready Lincoln?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Ready, but be cautious," replied Lincoln. The two face off the first few Octolings as they collect the Mini-Zapfish. Lincoln kept rolling with his Hero Roller and splatting the Octolings in his path. Ronnie Anne used her Hero Charger to snipe the Octolings out of Lincoln's way.

When it came down to one last Mini-Zapfish, that's where things felt easy. The two agents start to feel confident and make a plan. "I'll cover you from a distance, while you take out as much of them as you can," said Ronnie Anne. Lincoln smiled, "You got it, Ronnie Anne." Lincoln silently swims his way to the last Mini-Zapfish, only to find it unguarded. Lincoln was confused, "Where did they go?"

Then out of nowhere, he hears Ronnie Anne charger go off from the distance. Lincoln realized that Ronnie Anne was in trouble. "Ronnie Anne, what's going on?" he asked. Unfortunately, he finds out that his signal is being jammed. It was a trap laid for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne.

He raced to Ronnie Anne's location as fast as he could. Ronnie Anne kept her guard up, because the Octolings were closing in on her. They figured out that she wasn't good with close range shots, so they started targeting her. Ronnie Anne threw her splat bombs at the Octolings, taking out a few of them while she escaped.

As Ronnie Anne escapes the Octolings' grip, the surviving Octolings take her by surprise. They pop out from the inked up wall and one splats her with Octarian Ink. After being splatted, Ronnie Anne loses her Squidbeak Uniform, and then the other Octoling slams down on her leg and then knocks her unconscious.

The two Octolings laugh triumphantly and prepare to finish off Ronnie Anne. "You shouldn't have messed with the Octarian Army. After we finish with you, we'll target your boyfriend and have our revenge!" But as they were ranting off, Lincoln gets the drop on them and splats them with his roller.

He turns to Ronnie Anne and finds her hurt really badly. Scared, he takes her in his arms and tries to get her attention, "Ronnie Anne?" Lincoln kept shaking her lightly until she could move. "Ronnie Anne, please wake up. Don't splat on me! Please!"

He picks her up in an attempt to take her back to the group. He could only make it to the last Mini-Zapfish with her. Along the way, he finds the machine that's causing the signal to go haywire on his headset. Taking a good glance at the device, he realized that it was made by Lisa. He takes his roller and destroys it, cleaning up the signal.

Lincoln sets Ronnie Anne down and tries to get her attention again. "Ronnie Anne, please! I can't lose you." With no response, Lincoln thought of the worse and looked down. Just then, Ronnie Anne starts to regain consciousness and barely gets Lincoln's attention. Happy knowing Ronnie Anne is okay, Lincoln hugged his best friend. "Ronnie Anne, you're okay!" She points to the Mini-Zapfish, telling Lincoln to finish the mission. Lincoln takes his roller and frees the last Mini-Zapfish.

With the signal cleared up, Lincoln contacts Agents One and Two for assistance. "Agent One, Agent Two, come in!" "Agent Four! Thank Cod!" replied Agent One. "What's going on?" "We walked into a trap, Agent One! Ronnie Anne nearly got splatted and she's hurt real bad! I need help getting her back!" replied Lincoln. "Standby Agent Four, we're on our way," replied Agent Two.

Back at Cephalon HQ, Agents One, Two, and Lincoln return carrying Ronnie Anne and the last Zapfish. Bobby just stood in disbelief that his little sister was nearly splatted. "Nie Nie!" he cried. He rushed to get closer to his sister, and Lori followed behind him. "What happened to her?" she asked. "She got ambushed by a bunch of Octolings," replied Lincoln. "They broke her leg and nearly splat her."

Lisa quickly constructed a medical tent, and the agents brought her in for observation. As Lisa began to examine her injuries, the next thing she saw startled her. "Sweet mother of discovery!" Bobby went into the tent after Lisa's exclamation. "What's wrong?! Is it bad?!" "No, this is incredible!" replied Lisa. "She's healing herself from the inside!" "How is it possible?" asked Lincoln. "Octopus' have the ability to regrow limbs. Since she shares the DNA strand of an octopus, she has gained the ability to heal herself in any dire situation," Lisa explained.

As Lisa finished her explanation, Ronnie Anne started to regain consciousness. "What's up, guys?" she weakly asked. This statement made Bobby get down on one knee and hug his little sister. "Oh Nie Nie! I was so worried you weren't going to make it," he said. "Was there any doubt, Bobby?" she asked. Lincoln smiled with relief from the entrance.

"How long until I'm back on my feet, Lisa?" Ronnie Anne asked. "With rest at this rate, I'd say about half an hour," replied Lisa. Just then, the 31 Zapfish use their energy to open up a hatch that contains one last kettle. The group had a hunch that this kettle is the one that's holding the Great Zapfish.

"Lincoln, you have to go on without me," siad Ronnie Anne. Lincoln was startled, "What?!" "I still need time to recover, and Octavio might not be keen on waiting." "She's right Agent Four," said Agent Two. "We'll keep an eye on her while you take on Octavio." Lincoln started to feel scared. He always thought he would face danger with his team mate. But now, he has to face the final boss on his own. Hesitant, Lincoln stumbled with words, "I can't- I.. I never.. Are you..?" "Lincoln, we won't get another shot at this," said Agent One. "We've come so far, we can't give up now!"

That's when Lincoln snapped, "NO! It's too dangerous! I can't do this alone!" Everyone grew quiet, even Ronnie Anne was startled. "I've never gone into dangerous territory on my own. All spawn points are out, and my only confidence has been beaten down. I've never had the chance to do things on my own. And now that I got the chance, I'm scared that it may be my last!" Everyone listened with heavy hearts, even his sisters. "I just got you girls back, I don't want to lose you if I…?" Lincoln ended his rant with a few sniffles.

Seeing her brother cry, kicked in Lori's sibling instincts. She couldn't watch her younger brother cry out of fear. She thought she lost him before, but she wasn't going to lose him again. She walked up to Lincoln and said, "You never lost us. Lincoln, look at me. In the short time we've reunited, I've seen how much progress you've made on your mission." She points to their sisters, "Take a look at what you've done so far." Lincoln looks to his sisters and his friends as they smile at him, making him feel a bit better.

Lori continued with her speech, "You've done more than enough to prove to us that you can do this, even me." Del stepped in to help out, "Your sister is right. We didn't know what to expect from you when you first came here. But after months of turf battles and player matches, you have proven you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. I know you can face off Octavio. We know you can save Inkopolis."

Lincoln looked up to Lori and Del, "How do you know?" he asked. That's when the group came together. "Because you're kind…" said Lori. "You're fashionable…" said Leni. "You're brave…" said Bobby. "You're funny…" said Luan. "You're tough…" said Ruta. "You're loyal…" said Clyde. "You're deep…" said Lucy. "You're friendly…" said Lana and Lola. "You're smart…" said Lisa. "You're all that, and more…" said Del. "You're Yincoln Youd." said Lily.

Lincoln looks down to the ink he splattered in his frustration, as he looked into the ink he saw his reflection of his human self. Deep down, he knew that his friends and sisters were right. No matter how bad things got, he was, and always will be, the Man with the Plan. He is Lincoln Loud. Lincoln started this mission, and he knew he had to finish it. And this time, he had his family by his side. Whether they were his friends, or his sisters.

"Come here you guys!" Lincoln cries giving his sisters and friends a big group hug. He takes a deep breath and looks to the last kettle. "Okay guys, we've got a Zapfish to save," he said, giving off his heroic posture. Just then, Sheldon comes out with a surprise for Lincoln. "Hey Lincoln," he said. "You're going to need this." He gives Lincoln a new Hero Splattershot. Lincoln gazes in magnificence, and fires a lot of ink from the weapon. "Better keep an eye on your ink consumption."

Lincoln chuckled in embarrassment, then made his way to the kettle. He turned his head to look at his smiling family. "Wish me luck guys!" he called out. "Go get him, bro!" said Lana. "We'll catch up with you as soon as Ronnie Anne fully recovers," said Del. Lincoln nodded and entered the kettle entrance. Then, the platform recedes into the hatch and the hatch closes behind the platform.

Lincoln comes out from the other side and sees a launchpad that leads to the center of the arena. He takes the launchpad just as Agent Two contacted Lincoln. "Go, Agent Four!" Lincoln lands near the center of the arena. He takes a look around seeing Octarians in bleachers and large monitors all over the area. The room was lit with neon lights and shaded with blue. 'Wow, it looks like I'm in the center of a concert here,' Lincoln thought.

He turns to the center of the stage to see two figures standing in front of him looking away. He takes a closer look at the figures and realizes who they were. "I don't believe it! Luna? Lynn?" The two figures turn around giving stern looks, and of course reveal that they have hypno shades on their heads.

Luna is shown as an Inkling with her signature purple ink, short haircut, and wears a small tank top in her colors that exposes her midriff, revealing an octopus-shaped marking near her belly button. Her earrings have been replaced by gold octopus earrings and her hat resembles an octopus tentacle. Her tank top, shorts, gloves and boots appear to be made of black leather. Her shorts are low-cut enough to reveal a glimpse of her purple panties, and her leggings are purple with sequins.

Lynn is shown as a red-pink Octoling with a pigtail hairstyle and wears the same outfit as the Octolings, but almost the same as Luna's outfit, clearly for show. Lincoln took a few steps back, he knew that he had to fight them next. "You should've left when you had the chance, Inksquirt!" said Lynn. "I thought differently," replied Lincoln. He takes his splattershot in his hand and prepares to fight.

The two brainwashed sisters strike off dance poses as Luna spoke up. "Now you leave us no choice. Prepare to be rocked!" Luna gives off her rock pose as she shouted, "Hey DJ!" Then, the stage that Lynn and Luna were standing on began to shake. The stage started to lift high in the air revealing a large robot in the form of a DJ stage equipped with a turntable and takoyaki grills. The robot is equipped with four cannons, and two mechanical fists that can be shot out on cords, four green propellants, wasabi plants, and lights inside.

Under the robot, Lincoln sees something familiar struggling to get free. "It's the Great Zapfish!" he cried. The Zapfish gets sucked into the machine and then another face Lincoln has never seen before reveals himself. "DJ Octavio. We finally meet," said Lincoln. "DJ Octavio in da HOUUUUUUSE! Gyah ha ha!"

Lincoln held his ground, "It doesn't have to be this way, Octavio. I'm giving you a choice: Give me back those girls, the Great Zapfish, and leave. Or I take them from you the hard way." Octavio stared viciously at Lincoln, "You think I'm gonna walk away when I'm close to victory?! NEVER! My people want a show, so I'll give them a show!"

"Time for our first song of the night: Bomb Rush Blush!" Luna announced. "Showtime, DJ!" Lynn shouted. Octavio took out his wasabi stalks and planted them on his turntables. "Time to drop the beatdown!" Lincoln glared at Octavio, he wasn't going to back down. But neither was Lincoln. "Then let's not disappoint your audience!" he announced.

(Bomb Rush Blush - DJ Octavio feat. Callie)

Lincoln began to splat green ink to keep him safe from Octarian ink. As he covered his ground Octavio began to charge his robotic fists to hit Lincoln. "Agent Four! Listen carefully," Agent One called. "Shoot ink at his robotic fists when they come at you." Taking Agent One's advice, he shoots ink at the fists. The resulting action causes the fists to shoot back at Octavio.

"That's it, Agent Four! Show no mercy!" cried Agent Two. Lincoln kept shooting ink to cover more ground, and increase his chances to victory. That's when Octavio started to fire up his fists again. Only this time, they appear to be spinning viciously. That's when Sheldon came into contact with Lincoln. "Agent Four, watch out for his spinning punches. They can't be bounced back!" Lincoln dodged the spinning punch, and prepared for what comes next.

Then, Del came into contact with Lincoln, "Hey! Those lyrics. That melody. Octavio's using Callie's song!" Then Luna started to sing, "Blushing faces covered in pink! Rushing bombs, exploding ink!" At the same time, Octavio shoots splat bombs out from the cannons in hopes of hitting Lincoln. But Lincoln retreated just as he saw the bombs shoot out.

Octavio prepared to use his mechanical punches again, but Lincoln bounced them back at him. "Gah! Come on, Octavio!" cried Lynn. Seeing how she hates losing, Lincoln tried to talk to his sisters to snap them out of it. "Luna! Lynn! Snap out of it!" But it was no use, and Octavio prepared to fire more splat bombs at Lincoln.

Octavio prepared to fire his punches again. But this time, he wanted to use both his mechanical fists. Lincoln moved to the side as he bounced back the closest fist to him. Then, he bounced the second fist as it hit the ground. This resulted in Octavio falling out of his machine and into Lincoln's ink. "Agent Four! Octavio is exposed! Let him have it!" called out Agent One. Lincoln used his splattershot to shoot Octavio back into his machine.

After Octavio got knocked back into the machine, Luna and Lynn grabbed onto their heads as if they're fighting Octavio's control. Lincoln had to get through to them somehow. "Luna! Lynn! It's me! Try to remember!" Unfortunately, it wasn't enough when Octavio regained his composure. "DJ! Drop that Spicy Wasabi Beat!" Luna called out. Octavio gets back on his turntables. "Comin' with that hotness!"

Lincoln prepares himself again for round two. "Are you ready for this!?" Octavio called out. Then, he spews out a few takoyaki around Lincoln's location. The octopus desserts start spinning fast and then spew columns of Octarian ink, surrounding Lincoln. Octavio activates his spinning punch and fires at Lincoln. But Lincoln dodged the attack and stood very close to the ink column.

The columns stop spewing ink, and that's when Lincoln sprayed his ink around the area. "I must say, I'm impressed you were able to make it this far," said Octavio. "Too bad it'll be all for nothing!" That's when Octavio prepared his cannons and programed them as shower nozzles. Lincoln dodges quickly, just as Octavio sprayed ink across the arena.

Lincoln continued to deflect Octavio's punches, making Octavio very angry. "Let's see how you'll fare against my mean laser!" Below Octavio's machine, he prepares to fire his Stingray laser at Lincoln. But Lincoln, remembering how powerful the Stingray is, dodged by swimming as fast as he could in his ink.

Then, a familiar voice came on Lincoln's headset. "Hey, Lame-O! Are you starting the party without me?" Lincoln smiled, "Ronnie Anne! You okay?" "I'm fully healed! And I'm on my way!" she replied. "Just hold Inky off a little longer. The rest are-" Before Ronnie Anne could finish her sentence, Octavio jammed the signal.

"This is between the two of us!" Octavio shouted. He proceeds to punch Lincoln again, but his attacks are repelled back at Octavio. He falls out of his machine, and Lincoln proceeds to ink him again. Lincoln's attack forces him to fly back into his machine. This made Octavio really angry. "Enough of this!"

He gets back on the turntables and uses all of his weapons to surround Lincoln with Octarian Ink. Lincoln tried to keep the place surrounded in green ink, but his tank ran empty. Having completely forgotten about Sheldon's warning of his ink capacity. Octavio proceeds to use his double punch techniques to knock Lincoln down. This time, he succeeds.

Lincoln gets knocked into Octarian ink, with his uniform knocked off at the same time. With only little ink left, Lincoln fell to despair. "Gyah ha ha ha ha!" Octavio laughed. "Such a disappointment, Lincoln Loud." Lincoln looked up in shock; Octavio knew his name. "You know my name?" he asked. "It's no surprise that a group of people were looking for one missing person." Octavio replied.

Lincoln tried to get up, but Octavio used one of his fists to hold him down. "But that person wasn't you! Turns out they were only looking for Bobby Santiago, and his sister Ronnie Anne when they came here." Lincoln closed his eyes, not wanting to listen to his talk. He couldn't believe the words that Octavio was saying. "You're lying! My sisters would come for me!" he cried.

Octavio knew he had him where he wanted him, "Had they known you were here, who would they want to find first?" Lincoln took a deep breath, "It wouldn't matter if they found me first, because I know that if I went missing, they would never give up finding me! And if they went missing, I would never give up finding them." This statement made Octavio laugh. "Not all your sisters think to believe so."

Then he proceeds to slam Lincoln in the ground with his mechanical fist. "Some still think you're nothing but bad luck. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't care. To me, you're just a worthless kid, fighting for something you shouldn't have been involved in. A nobody, all alone." Lincoln grew tired and sad hearing all the things Octavio's calling him.

With little strength he had left, he slowly got himself back on his feet. "You're wrong Octavio!" he said. "My name is Lincoln Loud, I am a brother of 10 sisters, a friend to all who know me. And I would never ever trade them for the world. No matter how bad they mess up." Octavio grinned maliciously, "As you wish. Let's finish this, ladies."

The two brainwashed Loud sisters continued to dance to the music, while Octavio began to punch Lincoln out of existence. The fist came closer and closer. With only little ink, and barely enough to fight back, Lincoln closed his eyes and prepared for his end.

Then, all of a sudden, the fist was hit by a blob of fresh green ink. The fist bounced back and hit Octavio. "What was that?!" he shouted. Lincoln smiled, "I told you I'm not alone!" That's when a floating pickup truck came flying by. Ruta was driving the truck, while the rest of the group, minus Agents One and Two and Sheldon, were riding on the trailer part of the truck.

(Tidal Rush - DJ Octavio ft. Callie vs Marie)

"Hang on, Inkoln!" Del called out. "The cavalry has arrived!" Ruta steered into Octavio's line of sight. At the same time, Ronnie Anne and Del aimed their chargers at Luna and Lynn. They shoot the hypnoshades off of their faces leaving them in a daze. "NO! The Hypnoshades!" cried Octavio. "Nice shot, Del!" said Ronnie Anne. "Back at ya," Del replied. "Now go help our friend."

Ronnie Anne launches her way down to the arena and helps Lincoln recover from his attack. She sprays long lines of ink to help Lincoln refill his weapon. At the same time, Lincoln recovers his Squid Beak armor and regroups with Ronnie Anne. "Come on, Lame-O. Let's end this!" The two charge at Octavio's weapon with Lincoln calling his sisters names. "LYNN! LUUUNNAAAAA!"

The two agents continue to fight off more of Octavio's flight tactics. "Time to turn the tables! Spicy Speed Mode!" Octavio called out. Octavio then used his machine to dash to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's left. "Careful Lincoln, he has dash punches." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continue attacking Octavio's punches as they target the two.

While Lincoln and Ronnie Anne fight off Octavio, Luna and Lynn slowly regain their senses. Their heads continue to throb while the ink Ronnie Anne and Bobby shot at them take their course. While trying to make sense with what's going on, they hear someone that they haven't heard in a long time. "Luna! Lynn! Wake Up! It's me, Lincoln!" Lincoln's voice startled them, but helped them almost regain their senses.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continued working together, successfully knocking Octavio out of his machine again. Lincoln offered Ronnie Anne a chance to shoot Octavio, which she gladly did. "This one's for me," was all Ronnie Anne said as she charged her shot and shot Octavio back into his machine.

Del looks to Luna and Lynn and gets Ruta's attention. He stomps on the roof of the truck and says, "Ruta, take us in closer. We need to get Lincoln's sisters off the stage." Ruta nodded and drove close to Octavio's machine. Bobby and Lori grab the dazed sisters and bring them on the truck. Then, Ruta drives to the outer perimeter of the area giving them a safe distance from Octavio.

Just then, Octavio began to steam with rage. Seeing his last batch of brainwashed minions ticked him off. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" he shouted. He slams his wasabi stalks onto his turntable only for his music to suddenly stop. "What the? Where are my beats?!" he cried. Back on the truck, Ruta looked at the radio. The radio looked like it was going haywire until it stopped on one channel.

(Spicy Calamari Inkantation - Squid Sisters)

The music started to intensify across the arena. "Agent Four, Agent Five! Can you hear our song?"asked Agent One. "Radio override, activated," said Agent Two. "Huh? What's this?" asked Leni. Del smiled ear to ear, for he knew what the melody sounded like. "It's that heavenly melody... It's the one and only…"

Just then, the Squid Sisters appear from another truck. This one being driven by Sheldon. "SQUID SISTERS!" shouted Del. He watched them from one of the monitors in the arena and had a sudden realization. "Wait! Agent One and Two are Callie and Marie!?" "Sure looks like it." said Lucy. "I DANCED WITH CALLIE!?" Del cried.

Callie signaled Del to their truck as an invite to dance with them. Del felt like he was in heaven when Callie invited him, so he launched to the Squid Sisters truck and danced beside Callie. "Go Agents! You can do it!" Del shouted. "Prepare for the final assault," said Sheldon. He releases a group of drones delivering a weapon to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne.

Lincoln unboxes the weapon to reveal a golden style of the Japanese Shachihoko. "I modified this version of the Rainmaker to help you out," said Sheldon. Octavio spots the weapon Sheldon gave the two agents and was shocked. 'No, not the Rainmaker!' he thought. 'One shot with that, and my plans are ruined.' He looked up to the Squid Sisters dancing on the truck and decided to take the fight to them.

He brings his machine up to where the Squid Sisters and the others were flying, and prepares to bring them all down. "You have foiled my plans for the last time!" He prepares to punch the Squid Sisters first. "Oh no! He's targeting us!" cried Marie. "Callie! Watch Out!" Del sees the Squid Sisters in trouble and takes out his charger. He gets in front of them and deflects the attack. Octavio gets punched by his own attack and the group flies close to the Squid Sisters' truck.

Callie and Marie were amazed by Del's courageous act, "Woah." Del angrily glared at Octavio. "Leave my friends ALONE!" he shouted. Octavio shrugged off his attack and prepared to shoot his Stingray laser at the group. "Keep flying away!" cried Callie. "As they say: Sometimes the best defense is… Running for your Life!" said Marie.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne watch the fight from the ground below. "Ronnie Anne, Octavio is attacking the others. We need to help!" said Lincoln. "But what can we do?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Octavio's ignoring us and our weapons can't reach him." Lincoln knew she was right. He looks up to find one railing that's surrounding Octavio's ship. Without any launch pads, Lincoln thought of one idea that could work. "Charge and Roll." he said.

Ronnie Anne was stunned, "What?" Lincoln armed himself with the Rainmaker. "I can fly up to that railing there, and shoot him with the Rainmaker." "Lincoln, are you absolutely sure?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Because we've never managed to pull off this technique." Lincoln looked to his best friend, "I'm sure Ronnie Anne. Because if we don't do it now, Inkopolis will never be saved." Then he proceeded to friendly punch her arm. "Besides, you're here with me. You said it yourself."

Ronnie Anne smiled at his bravery and nodded. "Okay, I trust you Lincoln." The two prepare their technique and Ronnie Anne aims for the rail. "Are you ready, Lincoln?" Lincoln prepared himself in his inkling form on Ronnie Anne's charger. "It's now or never. Do it Ronnie Anne!"

Ronnie Anne fires her charger, sending Lincoln high into the air. Lincoln drew closer and closer to the rail, he started to focus on changing back into his Inkling form. He kept going faster, he was afraid that he was going to miss the railing. Just as Lincoln passed the rail, he started to slow down and regained his Inkling form, just in time to land on the railing.

Back with the flying trucks, Octavio continued attempting to punch the group. "No one is going to take this victory away from me!" he yelled. "Not you guys! Not Lincoln! Not the Squid Sisters! Not Agent Three! AND ESPECIALLY NOT CAPTAIN CUTTLEFISH!" Lincoln grinds to Octavio's side and calls him out, "OCTAVIO!" Octavio turns, and Lincoln fires the Rainmaker at him knocking him and the machine down to the ground.

Lincoln jumped from the rail and prepared to slam him with his weapon. "You haven't won, yet!" he shouted as Octavio watched him fall closer to his face. "Oh Ca-" was all he said as Lincoln slammed the Rainmaker on his face. Octavio laid on the machine dazed and surprised, "Gah...not again...crossfade to blaaaack."

Then, the ship started to hiss and rumble. "The ship is going to explode!" Octavio cried. As he spots Lincoln trying to escape, he grabs him with his tentacles. This made Lincoln scared beyond belief. Octavio was planning on taking him down with him. "You're not going anywhere! This is the last time you Inklings take my victory!" "What are you doing? We got to get clear of the blast!"

Ronnie Anne watched in horror as Lincoln was failing to escape Octavio's weapon. At the same time, the Squid Sisters, the Loud Sisters, the Bloopers, Bobby, Clyde, and Sheldon land closely to Ronnie Anne. "Lincoln! Can you hear me!?" she cried. "Get out of there! Lincoln hur-" Then, the group watched in shock as Octavio's weapon exploded. "LINCOLN!" cried everyone.

Luna and Lynn regained consciousness just as they heard an explosion. "Woah dudes! What happened?" Luna asked. "Luna!" Lola sobbed as she hugged Luna. "It's us, Luna." Clyde said in tears. "Wait. Clyde? Why are you guys crying?" asked Lynn. "Lincoln." said Lori. "He's...he's…"

That's when everyone started crying their hearts out. Ronnie Anne tried holding back their tears. Del and Callie hugged out of sorrow, and Marie and Ruta bowed their heads. Lynn was confused with what happened. Considering the fact that she was knocked unconscious. But, she had a pretty good idea of what happened. "Oh Lincoln…" Leni squeaked. "We're so sorry."

Then out of nowhere, large lightning bolts appeared along with the Great Zapfish swimming freely in the air. The group watched as it smiled at them. But what they didn't expect was something miraculous. They heard a familiar voice, "HEY! Did anyone order a Great Zapfish?" The group looked up to see Lincoln Loud on top of the Great Zapfish's head. Behind him laid an unconscious Octavio.

The Great Zapfish lowered his head, allowing Lincoln to walk off and smile at the group. "Lincoln?" Lincoln looked to see Luna awake and well. He smiled and said, "Yes Luna. It's me." he gives off his rock pose, the same one Luna taught him at his first rock concert, and Luna did the same thing. With tears in her eyes, Luna rushed to hug Lincoln. The rest of the Loud sisters did the same. "We're so glad to have you back, Lincoln," said Lana. "I told Octavio I wouldn't trade you guys for the world," sair Lincoln. "No matter what."

The Bloopers came up to hug Lincoln as well. "I never doubted you for a moment, 'Inkoln," said Del. "You are amazing." Bobby and Clyde rushed over to see their friend in one piece and the trio high five each other. "You gave me a heart attack, lil' bro," said Bobby. "But you did good."

Then, Ronnie Anne came up, looking like she was going to clobber him. Lincoln knew that he made her worry so he decided to brace himself for what's coming next. "Okay, Ronnie Anne," Lincoln said with a sigh. "I know, I scared you, and that's not right. So whatever you plan on doing to me, just make it fast." Lincoln was expecting a punch from Ronnie Anne. But what he didn't expect was that she grabbed his collar and planted a kiss on his lips. Then, she slapped him and said, "Don't ever do that again!" Lincoln rubbed his cheek and smiled, "I promise, Ronnie Anne."

The two agents turn to see the Loud Sisters smile with glee, seeing their only brother get kissed by who they assume to be his 'girlfriend.' They see Callie and Marie look over the unconscious Octavio. "We need to arrest Octavio before he wakes up," said Marie. Ruta gets the group's attention, "Guys! Look!" Everyone looks to see the Great Zapfish make its way back to Inkopolis.

Back at Inkopolis Square, all of the Inklings and the Octolings get a big surprise. They see the Great Zapfish return and settle on top of Deca Tower. Then, Off the Hook goes live to give everyone the big scoop. "Y'all know what time it is!" Pearl called out. "It's Off the Hook coming to you live from Inkopolis Square," said Marina. "Hold your seahorses, Marina! We have breaking news!" cried Pearl. "The Great Zapfish has returned to Deca Tower!" "Where did it come from?" asked Marina. "I guess we'll never know," replied Pearl. "Anyway, in other news..."

Back at Tentakeel Outpost, the group took Octavio and placed him in a newly furbished snow globe. The group got together and asked the Loud Sisters to keep their adventure a secret. "Why do you want us to keep this a secret?" asked Lana. "Everyone's got to know about this!" said Lola. Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, Bobby, Clyde, and the Bloopers stood by the Squid Sisters. "I'm sorry Lola, but there's a reason no one can know about this," said Clyde. "This is the same situation Captain Cuttlefish was in when he asked Agent 3 to keep this quiet the first time," said Ronnie Anne.

Lincoln walked up to his sisters and explained to them, "I know you guys believe I'm a hero to all the Inklings. And truly, I believe I deserve recognition. But Captain Cuttlefish promised everyone that all this was small, undercover work. If word ever got out that Octavio was preparing for war against the citizens of Inkopolis, the chances of achieving peace between the two races would be lost."

Lincoln bowed to his sisters, along with his friends. "Please understand why we have to keep this quiet." Lana and Lola came up to give Lincoln a hug and smiled, "Sure Lincoln, we'll keep this between us." The rest of the Loud siblings gather together to join in their hug.

Ruta let out a huge yawn and spoke up, "I think it's best that we all head back home. I'm exhausted." Lily lets out a yawn too. "I think it would be wise," said Lisa. "We're going to need all the energy we need if we're ever going to return to our original residence." The Louds, and their friends all agreed. "I'll take my brother and Clyde to my team's apartment," said Ronnie Anne. "And we'll take in Lincoln's family," said Ruta. "At least it won't be long." said Del.

"And we'll keep an eye on Octavio until Captain Cuttlefish and Agent Three return from their mission," said Marie. Callie walked up to Del, "But, we can't let you guys go without something." She gives Del a bunch of slips that look like tickets. "Since you guys saved Splatfest, here's VIP tickets for the upcoming event." Del stared at the tickets in amazement. Then he spots a ticket with his name on it. He turns it around to see a phone number on the back. Then Callie whispers in his ear, "Call me." Del blushed with happiness.

And so, the group went down the drain that brings the group back to Inkopolis Square. Before Del could leave, he takes one last look at Octavio. Octavio glares at the staring Inkling, and Del glares back. "They're going to hurt him, again." Octavio told him. "You're just trying to get me to turn on them," said Del. "I want to trust those girls," said Del. "His sisters still love him." "But do they respect him?" asked Octavio. "I know I do." replied Del as he walked away.

As Del got back to the apartment, he realized that he took his time with Octavio to notice that all the Loud siblings, plus Lincoln, went to sleep in the common area. Del smiled at their reunion, but thought about what Octavio said to him. As much as he wanted to trust Lincoln's sisters, he still can't forget the plan he, Ruta, and Lincoln agreed to. He enters his bedroom, and then falls fast asleep.

**And there you have it! Lincoln and Ronnie Anne have saved Inkopolis! The Great Zapfish has returned to Inkopolis Square. All the Loud Sisters have been saved, and everything has changed for the better. And to all who think this story has come to an end: HA HA! This story is not over yet. Lynn may still be superstitious, Splatfest has yet to come around, and Lincoln and his friends still need a plan to return home. I'm glad to have made it this far. And I want to thank everyone who has been following up on my story. Until next time: Staaay Fresh! Don't get cooked, stay Off the Hook!**


	11. Cracked Reflections

All was very quiet in the city in Inkopolis. Considering the fact that it was in the early hours of the morning. The Great Zapfish was sleeping soundly on Deca Tower, when all of a sudden, "Y'all know what time it is?!" The Great Zapfish jolts awake by the sound of two familiar voices. "It's Off the Hook coming to you live from Inkopolis Square."

Pearl and Marina woke up the citizens of Inkopolis with their Off the Hook news time. They announced their Turf War locations, Battle Stages, and League Stages. "And to think that everyone is really happy ever since the Great Zapfish returned," said Pearl. "I think it's because everyone is also excited knowing that Splatfest is back on schedule," said Marina. "Despite the Zapfish being gone for more than a week."

Meanwhile, at the Citrus Bloopers' apartment, The Loud Sisters were sleeping soundly in the common area. Luna slowly nudged her head back and forth as if she was trying to wake up. When she did, she looked around the apartment in slight confusion. 'I'm in an apartment with my sisters?' She thought. 'Is this still a dream?' She took the time to try and recall all the events that happened last night. When she remembered that she reunited with her missing brother, Lincoln, she jolted off the couch.

She looked around the apartment to see that Lincoln wasn't around. She looked into the kitchen to see a breakfast of thirteen. Knowing that her brother is great at making breakfast, Luna knew he wouldn't be far. She hears Ruta yawning as she enters the kitchen. "Mmm, something sure smells good," she said. "That's my bro's handiwork," said Luna. "Do you know where he is?" Ruta looked at the clock, then made a quick assumption. "I think Inkoln is on the roof right now," said Ruta. "You might find him there."

Luna took the stairs up to the roof of the apartment. As she entered the roof, she spotted Lincoln looking over the horizon. Lincoln looked down on Inkopolis with a relieved grin on his face. "Hey bro, good morning," said Luna. Lincoln turned his head with a smile. "Good morning, Luna," he replied. "How did you sleep?" "At first I thought I was dreaming. But now that you're here, I slept soundly for the first time in months," said Luna. She walked up to where Lincoln was standing and placed her arm around her little brother.

"I'm so happy that I found you guys," said Lincoln. "I didn't think I was going to see you all here." Lincoln. Then, Lincoln heard small sniffling coming from Luna. He turns to see her crying, then is surprised with a bear hug. "I'm just so happy you're alive," cried Luna. "I'm so sorry," "For what?" Asked Lincoln. "For not being there for you when you needed us," replied Luna. "I never should have sided with the majority when we locked you out. After you disappeared, I blamed myself. I failed you as your sister. Can you forgive me?"

Hearing how sorry her sister was, Lincoln kept Luna in her hug. She soon hears faint humming coming from Lincoln's mouth. He was humming to Smooch, reminding Luna how she made his first concert unforgettable. "Luna, the fact that you guys came here, and still holding on to the thought that I still love you guys after what you did to me, is enough to know how sorry you really are. Of course, I forgive you," Luna smiled and let go of her brother to see him smile with joy.

"Where did the time go, lil bro?" Luna asked. "You've grown up these last few months." Lincoln smiled, then heard his stomach growl. "We should go back down to eat." Luna nodded, "Right behind you, bro." The two rushed down to back to the apartment and were the first to eat breakfast. Eventually, the other Loud Sisters woke up and were happy to see Lincoln serving up breakfast. Del and Ruta take notice of the smell as well, and join the Louds for breakfast.

Lori stands up to make an announcement, "I would like to take this time to say, this is the best sibling meeting we've had in months. Not only are we together again after splitting up, but we have our brother back." Lincoln smiled. 'This is the best sibling meeting I've ever attended. Because we're all here together,' he thought. "Whoever wishes to speak up has the floor," Lori announced. Most of the girls immediately started asking Lincoln questions.

"So Lincoln, this is where you've been all this time?" Lana asked. "What did you do?" Lola asked. "Have you found a way to get home yet?" Luan asked. "Are you going to speak up?" Lynn asked. Lincoln held up his hands and pointed to whoever asked him first. "Yes. I do turf war battles that involve spraying ink all over territory. No, I haven't. And whenever you guys were done asking questions."

The Loud sisters were happy to hear his responses, then Lynn spoke up, "Now, we should focus on getting back home." "Aww, but shouldn't we like, take a look around the city first?" Leni asked. The Loud Sisters looked to Lori for an answer when she smiled, "I think Lincoln should decide." The girls look to Lincoln with smiles and shocked looks. Lincoln looked happy, gaining the recognition from his eldest sister.

Lincoln brings out a map of Inkopolis Square and marks their location. "Okay, we all know that we took separate routes when we first arrived in Inkopolis. So who remembers their point of entry?" Lisa steps onto the table, being careful at not touching anyone's plate of food. "I of course happen to know where my point of entry was." She takes a small piece of paper with Inkling writing on it. "What does that say?" Lucy asked. "That's Inkling writing for a street sign and a number," Lincoln replied. "How did you know that?" Lynn asked. Lincoln had to remind her, "I've spent a lot of time here."

Lori takes a closer look at the Inkling writing and comes to a sudden realization, "I know what that writing means!" "What does it mean?" Leni asked. "Lisa's location is somewhere in the subway tunnels," said Lori. "How did you know that's a subway tunnel?" Lincoln asked. "Bobby toured me around Great Lakes City in an effort to cheer me up while you were missing," Lori replied.

"So if we find the street sign, we find the entrance, and we find our way back home," said Luna. "Guess we've got some exploring to do," said Lola. "We'll start in Inkopolis Square and look for the street from there." The Loud siblings head out to find the location. Lynn just darted past Lincoln like she was nervous about something. Then the Citrus Bloopers phones go off indicating another Turf Battle is about to begin.

Lincoln started feeling a little uncomfortable, because he remembered his agreement that he and his team made at Slimeskin Garrison. "You okay, Lincoln?" Del asked. "It's not going to be easy to tell them my commitment to you guys," replied Lincoln. "It's never easy Lincoln. But it is right to tell them now instead of leaving them in the dark," said Del. "And don't worry," said Ruta. "Whatever happens, we're right behind you no matter what." Lincoln looks up to his teammates. "If they truly love you, I know they'll want to support you," said Del. Lincoln smiled, "You're right, let's get battling. My sisters will be fine."

In Inkopolis Square, the Loud sisters split up looking for the entrance to the subway tunnel Lisa set up her makeshift lab before she was grabbed by Octavio. But while they were looking around, they eventually got sidetracked in many ways. Lori and Lily saw Bobby waving at them, and invited them in the Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe with him. Leni and Lola entered Shella Fresh trying on new shoes. Luna saw a sound test rhythm game and listened to the music as she bounced her head. Luan and Lucy see a social room next to the music game and enter to entertain the Inklings and Octolings. Lana and Lisa look into Sheldon's weapon shop and help Sheldon test his weapons in his shooting gallery.

Lynn was looking around trying to find the street that holds the subway tunnel entrance. Unaware of her surroundings, she felt uneasy, 'Oh man, I don't understand anything about this place,' she thought. 'I don't know what's lucky and what's unlucky around here. I wish I didn't lose my duffle bag, it had what I needed.' She thinks back to the day she stumbled into Inkopolis.

(_Flashback_)

It was cold and really dark. So dark that she couldn't see anything, not even herself. But, she heard something going by. It was rushing water, but she had no idea it was river water. As the sound grew louder and louder, she figured out that she's in a river tunnel, and the water levels are starting to rise. She decided to run away from the sound until she was swept up and dissolved like an Inkling getting splatted in a Turf War. As she dissolved, she lost grip of her duffle bag and was swept off by the current for hours. Eventually, the current eased up, and the duffle bag was exposed to the sunlight shining from a metal grate. The duffle bag was soon grabbed by a couple of familiar tentacles.

(_Flashback Ends_)

Lynn tries to calm herself by standing her ground in the middle of the square. She looks to the monitor and sees the highlights of the Turf Wars going on right now. She sees the turf wars with the Citrus Bloopers fighting off against other teams. And in the highlights were Lincoln shooting ink all over the territory. Lynn was most surprised, she had never seen Lincoln participate in Turf Wars before. She sees the results of the battles and learns that the Citrus Bloopers have won the match and are still qualified for Splatfest.

Lynn was a little confused, 'Splatfest? What's that?' Then, Luna spots Lynn just standing confused and shocked. "Yo Lynn! What's going on?" Lynn looks to Luna then points to the monitor. "Look! Lincoln is participating in battles!" Lynn cried. Luna sees Lincoln's highlights and, unlike Lynn, looks amazed. "Sick moves, bro," said Luna. "Are you kidding me?" Lynn asked. "He's supposed to be helping us get home! But instead, he's just playing around, shooting ink at more of those creatures." Feeling upset that Lincoln is looking more stronger than her, made her run back to the Citrus Bloopers apartment. Luna was concerned with Lynn's behavior.

The Citrus Bloopers come out of Deca Tower with their winnings and prepare to head back to the apartment. Along the way, Lincoln spots Luna looking in the direction Lynn dashed off to. "Luna!" Lincoln cried. "Hey bro," said Luna. "I saw your highlights on the monitor. Guessing you did really good out there. But, what's going on?"

Lincoln was stunned, he forgot that Luna didn't witness his victory over Octavio. He owed her an explanation, "Oh, right. Listen Luna, I owe you and the rest of the girls an explanation about what's happened to me while I was gone." Luna, eager to listen to his brother again, nodded calmly, "We'll gather everyone back to the apartment, and you can tell us then." Lincoln nodded in agreement and the two bring the rest of the Loud sisters back to the apartment.

The Loud Sisters are shown wearing a lot of Inkopolis merchandise, except for Lynn. All the sisters sat in the common area waiting for Lincoln to talk to them. As he stepped in, Lori stepped up in front of the television, "I call this meeting to order. Lincoln, since you brought us together, you have the floor." "Thank you, Lori," said Lincoln. "Alright Stinkoln, what's the deal?" Lynn asked. "We're supposed to find our way home, and we find you battling in Turf Wars!" The Loud Sisters looked to Lincoln, who took a deep breath and nodded.

"It's true, I am still battling in Turf Wars," he said. "It's the only way to pay for the rent in this world." He takes out the winnings from his pocket, amazing his sisters. "You weren't gambling, I hope?" Lisa asked. "Nope," said Lincoln, "This is totally legit. If you win you get a lot of money. But if you lose, you don't get that much money, but you earn it for trying." Lori smiled and asked, "You stayed with the Citrus Bloopers to help them get by?" Lincoln nodded, "They have been trying to help me get back home these past few months. But, I wanted to help them as much as I possibly could."

"So when you get splatted in these Turf Wars, does it hurt?" Lana asked. Lincoln shook his head, "Your opposing team's ink just feels very heavy to the point that your body pops." His sisters groan in disgust, except for Lana. "Don't worry it's not that gruesome," assured Lincoln. "After getting splatted, you rejuvenate back at your spawn point and you fight again." His sisters smile and nod in understanding.

Then, Lynn speaks up, "I still don't understand what this 'Splatfest' is all about. Do you?" Lincoln knew that this was the moment of truth, "Splatfest is Inkopolis' annual festival in which teams would compete in Turf Wars. The teams win based on their popularity and wins in the Turf Wars. Last team standing wins and is acknowledged in the record books."

The Loud Sisters awed in amazement, especially Lynn, "Can anyone join?" "You can participate in Turf Battles," said Lincoln. "But you have to be in a solid team of four to participate in Splatfest. And qualifications were over two weeks ago." "Wait, you don't have a fourth team member! I'll help you," said Lynn. "Unfortunately, we already have a fourth teammate," said Lincoln. "Callie said that they're still trying to contact her and the Captain," said Del.

"But I can do this!" Lynn cried, "I'm more athletic, and that'll give you guys the advantage!" "You can't be a professional battler overnight," said Lincoln. "That's not how it works." Lynn paces back and forth, frustrated with the fact that she can't participate. "Lynn Loud does not accept defeat," she said. "I'll show you I've got what it takes! I will get a team, I will get into Splatfest, and I will beat everyone!"

Lola slammed her hands on the coffee table grabbing Lynn's attention, "LYNN! Pay attention! We don't have time to participate in Splatfest. We need to focus on getting home." Hearing Lola's statement made Lincoln breathe deeper. He looks at Del and Ruta, giving off serious faces, and nods at them knowing that this is the time to tell them.

"Actually Lola, everyone, I'm sticking around a little longer to participate in Splatfest." Lincoln's sisters gaze in shock. "Wait, does this mean you're not coming back?" Leni asked. "Doesn't our family mean anything to you?" asked Lucy. "What about Mom and Dad?" Luan asked. Lincoln braced himself with a barrage of questions coming from his sisters. "I should've known you ran away from home!" Lynn shouted.

Lincoln stood his ground, "I didn't run away," he said in a calming voice. "You guys mean everything to me, and of course we're still family. I miss mom and dad so much. A day doesn't go by when I wake up every morning wondering when I am ever going to get back home." Lincoln continues talking about what he's been through the last few months, making a majority of the girls feel sad.

"I still want to come home," he said. "Really I do. But I won't forgive myself if I bail on my Inkling friends." He looked at Del and Ruta and said, "The Citrus Bloopers took me in, when nobody else wanted me. The least I could do to repay them is to at least participate in the tournament that we worked hard to qualify for." He walks over to Del and Ruta and stands in front of them. "Win or lose Splatest, I won't leave them until I repay my debt. And it would mean much to me if you would respect my choice. I need you guys to support me, just like I was there to support you all."

The Loud Sisters were shocked to hear him use their words on themselves. Lynn, who is still upset about not participating in Splatfest, just huffed and rolled her eyes. The room stood silent, until Lori stepped up and placed her hand on his squid head. "Where did the time go, Lincoln Loud?" Luna walked over with tears in her eyes and hugged Lincoln, "You're growing up and I'm missing it." Leni was the next one to speak up, "He's like, absolutely right!" "I wrote that poem with all my heart and soul," said Lucy. "Now's my chance to show you that I really meant those words." Lana and Lola hugged their older brother, "Our family is not the same without you." "Yeah, you've _inked_ up your game face," Luan chuckled. "Get it?" "I got it, Luan. How about you Lynn, are you gonna support me?"

Lynn was still a bit reluctant, but knew that if a Loud is going to battle in Splatfest, it should be the one with more experience. "Fine, whatever," she said. Then, Lincoln smiled with glee. "Thanks guys." Before anything else could happen, the Citrus Bloopers get a notification about another Turf War. At the same time, a knock on the door was heard. Del looks outside to see a package addressed to them, but no information on who sent them. He brings the box into his room, and opens it to find a red duffle bag with the initials LLJ on them. 'This bag must belong to Lynn,' he thought.

Del, Ruta, and Lincoln prepare to head out and prepare for the next battle. The Loud sisters asked to come and watch their brother play, which he agreed to. Del comes up to Lynn and says, "The package has something that belongs to you." As the group leave the apartment, Lynn stays behind and finds her duffle bag in Del's room. She opens her bag and smiles in relief. "Lincoln will need this to win, for sure," she said to herself. She takes something out of her bag and races out the door.

At Starfish Mainstage, the Citrus Bloopers spawned at their starting point along with the other team on the other side. The Loud sisters, minus Lynn, invited Bobby, Clyde, and Ronnie Anne to watch him play from the sidelines. "That was really sweet of you to invite us, babe," said Bobby. "Lincoln deserves our support Boo-boo bear," said Lori. "Nice to see Lincoln play up close," said Clyde. "It sure is," said Ronnie Anne. "I'm glad the Krackers are taking some time off battling."

The buzzer went off and the Loud Sisters cheered for their brother and his teammates. They watch Lincoln parkour from walls to floors in his squid form. "He's got skill," said Leni. Lincoln takes his hero splattershot and covers territory across the arena. "He's got the game," said the twins. They grew anxious seeing an opposing battler about to take him out, until Del splattered him with his charger. "They got his back," said Lori.

They continue watching as they reach the one minute mark. "He's got the victory!" Luna cheered. As the group cheered, Lynn came rushing in and threw something on the mainstage. "He's got the Luck!" she shouted. The Loud Sisters were shocked and scared at seeing what she threw in the air.

Meanwhile, while Lincoln was gaining territory on the enemy's side of the field. Lincoln and Ruta looked at each other and nodded knowing that this is an 'In the Bag' Victory. But as Lincoln was reloading, something familiar fell in front of Lincoln. It was the old Royal Woods Squirrel Suit. Lincoln stood in shock when he saw the very thing he never thought he would have to see again. Then, he hears Lynn's voice, faintly saying, "Hurry! Put it on! You need that!" As Lincoln dazed off into space, he got splatted by the other team.

It took a few seconds to regain his focus, but that wasn't enough. His 'In the Bag' Victory, turned into a 'Close Call'. The Citrus Bloopers still won the match, but now they were left with confusion. Lincoln looked to his sisters who had sad looks on their faces. Then, he sees Lynn with a worried look on her face and gives him a thumbs up. Lincoln's face turned from confusion and shock to disgust and betrayal.

Back at the apartment, the Citrus Bloopers were waiting for the Loud Sisters, Ronnie Anne, Bobby, and Clyde to come back. "I can't believe this!" Ruta shouted. Del came out of his room in disgust, "I should've known! I should've known that suit was in her bag." Then he realized who actually sent the package. "Octavio, of course! He sent the package." "Wait, how can he send something while being imprisoned?" Ruta asked. "He's the general of the Octarian Army, I'm sure he had help," replied Del. Lincoln stares out the window, "How could this happen? I thought we were past all this."

The team hears the doorknob turning, "Well we're about to find out," said Ruta. Ronnie Anne comes in looking disgusted at what happened. Bobby and Clyde came in looking confused. Some of the Loud Sisters came in looking guilty, and the rest looked disgusted. "Sit down," said Ruta. The Loud Sisters did what they were told. Bobby and Clyde stayed by Ronnie Anne's side and Lincoln stood in front of his sisters. He crossed his arms and glared at his sisters.

"What were you thinking? Throwing that suit at me as if I needed it?!" Luna, not wanting to lose her brother again stood up, "I didn't know that someone would bring the suit! I swear!" "I don't think he was talking to you Luna," said Del. "Then who brought the suit?" Leni asked. Del pointed at Lynn, and then threw her duffle bag at her. "This was in the package we got earlier. Lynn was very nervous and edgy until she got this back. All because she brought the suit."

Luan spoke up, "Lynn! What were you thinking?! Why? After all this time?" Lynn looked down, "It was the only way for him to win the match." "Well it wasn't!" Lincoln yelled. "We were doing so well, and we almost had that match in the bag." "Unless…" Then, Lincoln gasped. "You didn't just think that suit was going to help me win! You still think I'm BAD LUCK!" The Loud Sisters gasped in shock.

Bobby and Clyde, confused about what was going on, asked Lincoln to bring them up to speed. Lincoln tells them the whole ordeal about Lynn accusing him of being bad luck, Lincoln going along with the bit to get time to himself, Lincoln getting kicked out of the house, up to the point he was forced to wearing the suit and stumbling into Inkopolis. Bobby grew upset hearing his story, "Babe, why did you do that to lil' bro?" Lori, scared of losing her boyfriend, bowed her head in guilt. "Don't blame her Bobby, I made matters worse by lying," said Lincoln.

"I thought you could use the extra boost! I thought that if you were going to win in Splatfest, you could have some luck on your side," said Lynn. "But what about after Splatfest? Are you just going to stuff me back in that thing like nothing ever happened back home?" Lincoln asked. "I'm not going back in that suit ever again!" Lincoln grabs the suit with the intention of throwing it away.

Lynn, still very superstitious, tries to take the suit back. "You can't do this Lincoln! What if we need it again!" Lincoln and Lynn use all their strength to pull to gain possession of the suit. The rest of the sisters wanted to break up the fight, but Del told them to stay out of this. The two yank one last time, until they rip the suit in half. Lynn sees the suit destroyed and gets angry with Lincoln. "What have you done?!" She shouted.

Lincoln takes the other half of the suit and throws it out the window and into the dumpster. "I'm opening your eyes for the last time! I'm not Bad Luck! I never was and I will never let you tell me otherwise," Lincoln claimed. Lynn was about to attack until Luna came to his side. "And we won't ever do that to you again, bro." Then, the other Loud sisters came to his side, claiming that he won't have to suffer for their happiness. Lynn, unable to cope with the change, shouted, "I can't believe you're all tainting yourselves with that Jinx!"

"And I can't believe you're putting your superstitious nonsense over the support of your only brother," said Lincoln. He steps in front of his sisters as Lynn turns away, frustrated that she's outnumbered. "If you had trusted me like you were supposed to, we could've avoided this situation. But because of what you've done, you're acting like the same sore loser who won't accept her loss, and blame her brother for everything!" Hearing Lincoln call her a sore loser, made Lynn snap. She let her anger control her, and didn't care that everyone was around to see what happened next.

Lynn shouted, "Well maybe I would've been better off without a brother like YOU!" Then, she punched Lincoln square in the face that knocked him into the wall making a hole, and shattering a wall mirror in the process. The Loud Sisters were scared at what they just witnessed. They usually fight and bicker over small things. But this time, this fight was more horrifying. Lynn snapped back to reality, and realized too late at what she did. Lincoln looks to Lynn with his hand on his swollen cheek.

Lincoln looked up to Lynn, now with hurt and sadness in his eyes. Lynn looked with guilt and disgust of what her actions made her do. Then, that moment was ruined when Lincoln's hero headset went off. Lincoln went to put them on, not wanting to look away from Lynn. He wanted to show her what her superstitious nonsense cost her: the love and support of a younger brother.

"Agent 4, can you hear me?" The voice over the headset sounded very familiar. It was Captain Cuttlefish. "Agent 3 and I are in a jam underground. Can you help us out?" Lincoln kept giving Lynn a sad glare and said, "I'm on my way, Captain." Lincoln takes his hero outfit and makes his way out the door. The Loud Sisters wanted to stop him, but they couldn't. Before he could close the door, he turned to his family and said, "I told you guys I would never trade you for the world…" He gives off a long pause, making the group believe that Lincoln wanted to say something else. But instead, he turns away, closing the door behind him, and running off in tears.

Del and Ruta took a deep breath and took in what transpired in their apartment. Lori looked to Bobby, who had the look of horror and drama. "I should've done something," said Luna. "We all could've done something," said Ruta. "But we couldn't, this is something we can't fix." Del furiously glared at Lynn, "I hope you're happy Lynn! You've just lost the respect and trust of your only brother!"

Lynn tried to apologize, but her sisters wouldn't accept it so easily. They turn away from her, leaving her emotionally shunned by her family. Del also turns away, "Lynn, I don't even want to look at you right now." "What are you saying, guys?" Lynn asked. Del points her to the door, "Out." he said in a calming tone. "But where will I sleep?" Lynn asked. "My suggestion is for you to sleep in the filth you created," Ruta said up close to her face. They push Lynn out and slam the door behind her. Del reopens the door and throws Lynn's duffle bag at her. "And take this with you."

"Should we go after Lincoln?" Lola asked. "No," said Lori. "We need to give him space." "We just got him back, and Lynn ruined everything!" Lana cried. Lucy takes out the poem she wrote about Lincoln and reads it to the sad audience.

A Brother Just Like You - Lucy Loud

I just want to let you know

you mean the world to me

only a heart as dear as yours

would give so unselfishly

the many things you've done

all the times that you were there

help me know deep down inside

how much you really care

even though I might not say

I appreciate all you do

richly blessed is how I feel

having a brother just like you

You never quit never surrender

for our love so strong and tender

So to this day I say to the clouds

"We love you, we miss you, brother: Lincoln Loud."

Outside in the garbage bin, Lynn listened to Lucy's poem from below. It was getting late at night and Lynn slept next to the suit and wrapped herself in an old newspaper as a blanket. As she settled into her makeshift bed, it started to rain. To avoid getting wet, she closed the lid on the dumpster and had no choice but to listen to the rain tapping. 'What did I get myself into?' she thought.

As she fell asleep, she dreamed that she was back at home. She gets out of bed, to the smell of bacon and eggs. As she raced down, she started to notice that the Loud House was quiet. "Where is everyone?" Lynn asked. She enters the kitchen to see her father cooking breakfast. But he looked like he wasn't in the right mind.

"Good morning, Dad!" Lynn shouted. "Hey LJ," said her father in a gloomy way. "What's wrong?" Lynn asked. "Where is everyone?" Her father gives her eggs and bacon to show a very sad face. As she looked deeper into her egg yolk, her breakfast eats her into nothingness. As she descended into the abyss, she looked at the egg yolk to see a vision from her past.

She finds herself sitting in the living room with a younger Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan. They are sitting with their grandfather, Pop-Pop. "So, do you think mommy and daddy are okay?" Leni asked. "I'm sure they'll be okay," said Pop Pop. "Your mother is a very strong woman." As they continue to ponder, and wait for their parents, young Lynn lays on the couch feeling scared.

"What's wrong kiddo?" Pop pop asked. Lynn being so young, couldn't explain that she was scared about having a new sibling. "Aww, are you scared about having a new brother or sister?" Lynn nodded. "It's okay to feel scared. But your mom and dad will still love you just as much as your sisters." Then, the young sisters get a warm welcome from their parents who have returned with their newborn sibling. "Dad, girls," Rita began. "Say hello to our baby boy: Lincoln." Lynn looks to Lincoln who opens his eyes and smiles at his older sisters.

Then, the memory fades into another memory. This one shows Lincoln, Lynn and their father in the backyard. Lincoln is four years old, which makes Lynn six. Lynn started throwing a baseball to Lynn while Lincoln was playing with his Ace Savvy action figure. "Come on, kiddo. Give me a curve ball," said their father.

Lynn winds up and throws giving off a successful right curve. But the curve ball misses Lynn's glove and hits Lincoln's Ace Savvy action figure. The figure breaks in two making Lincoln cry. Lynn sprang into action and fixed the problem. Lucky for her, the toy simply needed to be popped back into place. "There you go Lincoln," Lynn said reassuringly. "Ace Savvy just needed someone to pop his legs back in." Lincoln smiled and hugged her big sister for fixing his toy. "I love you, Lynn. Thank you." Lynn returned the hug and their father called for Rita to get the camera.

Shortly after, the memory fast forwarded to dinner time. Lynn and her father had a quick talk about what she did. "I'm proud of you for what you did for your brother." "Thanks, dad," said Lynn. "I'm gonna need your help. Our family is growing, so I need you, and your older sisters, to be there for Lincoln whenever he needs help," said Lynn Sr. "Can you promise me you'll do that for our family?" Lynn, understanding that their family is getting bigger with the arrival of Lucy, and the announcement of more Loud kids along the way, nodded her head in agreement. "I promise, Dad." "That's my big tough girl,"said Lynn Sr.

As Lynn continued falling in the abyss, she watched herself growing up. As she did she got tougher and tougher. But at the same time, she sees herself picking on Lincoln. She thinks back to her promise she made to her father, and realized that she failed him as his older sister. As she continues to fall, she sees a squirrel head ready to eat Lynn. "You're the loser now, Lynn Loud Jr!" The squirrel announced. Lynn tried to slow her descent, but she continued falling into the squirrel's mouth. As she grows closer to the mouth, she continues hearing the promise she made to her father before the squirrel closed its mouth.

It wasn't long until Lynn woke up hearing a dump truck arrive. She got up and got out of the trash bin just in time. The dump truck picks up the bin and takes the ripped up squirrel suit with it. Lynn, remembering her nightmare, sat down squalling in tears. She realized that she failed her father, her family, and her brother. "What have I done?"

Del wakes up to see the Loud sisters still asleep in the common area. Ruta started preparing their breakfast until they heard faint crying coming from outside. Del looks out the window and sees Lynn crying on the curb. Guilty for kicking her out, Del decided to check on her.

After her moment of crying, Lynn looks up and sees Del sitting next to her. "I never should've hit him," she said. "I promised dad I would be there for him, but I failed. Lincoln was right, I am a sore loser." Del sighed, "I want to show you something." He brings Lynn back into his apartment, being careful not to wake up the Loud sisters.

As they reach Del's bedroom door, they stop for a brief second. "You wanna know how much he wanted to come home?" Lynn nodded. Del opened the door to see a large map of Inkopolis hanging on his wall. Lynn looked at the map, and was amazed that Lincoln kept record of places to help him find his way home. "He never stopped trying to find a way," said Lynn. "He told me that he learned not to give up on the things he loved most," said Del. "He learned that from you."

Lynn looks down in guilt, remembering what she did to her brother. "You still love him, don't you?" Del asked. "Of course I do," Lynn replied. "You need to tell him that," Lynn and Del turn to see Ruta make that statement. "But he doesn't love me anymore," said Lynn. "He said that he wouldn't trade us for the world," said Lisa. "That doesn't mean he doesn't love you." "But after what you did, I wouldn't blame him for not forgiving you so easily," said Lori. "But if you want him back, you're going to have to prove it."

Lynn looked to her hands, and listened to what Del had to say, "He was strong in Inkopolis because of you. Now you have to remain strong and apologize, so that you both can move forward. Don't quit on him, because he knows that Lynn Loud Junior does not quit so easily." Lynn takes a deep breath and says, "I understand. I can't quit on my brother! Never again!"

Some of the Loud sisters smile at her statement, while Del and Ruta nod in approval. "Good." Just then, Ronnie Anne came rushing through the door. "Guys!" she cried. "What's wrong dude?" Luna asked. "I think Lincoln is in trouble!" Ronnie Anne replied. "What!?" Cried the sisters. "What makes you think he's in trouble?" Ruta asked.

Ronnie Anne brings the group through Inkopolis Square and leads them to the entrance to a subway tunnel. "He went down that stairway," she said. "As he got deeper, we got cut off. But he sounded like he was struggling with something down there. I'd go in there myself, but the Squid sisters need my help in looking after Octavio." "So who's going to go look for him?" Luan asked.

Lynn looked down and remembered what Del had told her. Then, she thought back to the promise she made to her father. Not wanting to quit on her brother again, she jumped over the gate, and darted into the metro. "I'm not quitting on you Lincoln, I'm coming!" Lynn announced. The group watched in surprise as Lynn disappeared into the darkness. "She better know what she's doing when she gets down there," said Lori.

Lynn continues running into the dark only to feel a misty sensation on her skin. She began to slow down, feeling droopy and heavy on the head. "What's going on?" Lynn asked herself. It wasn't before long until she slipped into the dark and hit her head on the way down. She lands onto the ground, and groans in pain. Then, she falls unconscious, lost, alone, and seemingly defenseless in the mysterious dark subway tunnels.

**And there we have it! Just when you all thought that A Loud Splat was over, there was more to my story. The third arc of my big project, which includes the events of the Octo Expansion! Lynn Loud Jr. refused to accept Lincoln has changed for the better and now has paid the price. She tried to make things better, only to make things worse for her and her family. Overcome with guilt, Lynn has to make things right by apologizing to her brother. But where have the two Louds ended up in the subway tunnels. Find out when we return to A Loud Splat! Staaaay Fresh! Don't get cooked! Stay Off the Hook!**


	12. Metro Madness

After the small slip on the steps, Lynn felt her consciousness fade away. Normally when she's light in the head, it would be from a concussion. She was aware that she slipped her head, but what made her feel drowsy was a mystery. The dark subway tunnels continued spewing a misty substance that made Lynn fall deeper into a coma. Whatever the stuff is, proved to be very powerful against the Octoling.

Lynn tried to fight off whatever was spewing in the tunnels when she heard a few fainted voices. "New subject identified. Subject class: Octoling" said the first voice. "Procedure as programmed: bring the subject to the lab. The commander will be pleased," said the second voice. The mysterious figures grab Lynn by the hands and drag her deep into the metro

Lynn didn't know what to expect, or to know what was going on. She continued attempting to regain consciousness, but failed when whoever grabbed her dumped her with a bucket of glowing ooze. This sustenance did not act like any ordinary opposing ink like they do in turf wars. This kind of ooze felt like it was seeping in Lynn's head. The more ooze that was doused on her, the more unconscious she grew.

Inside Lynn's head, she saw an image of Lincoln standing under a spotlight. As she tried to move, she saw the same sustenance that was poured onto her head seep into her legs. The ooze held her down as she struggled to move. "Lincoln!" she shouted. But Lincoln just walked out of the light, not even looking back at his sister who was in trouble. Then the entire room lit up to see a hoard of squirrel monsters preparing to attack them.

Lynn, seeing the monsters surround her brother triggered something inside Lynn's heart. "No. I'm not quitting on you. Ever. AGAIN!" Lynn shouted as she broke free from the ooze. Her fists were tightened and proceeded to pummel all the squirrel monsters that were about to attack Lincoln. Not wasting a breath, not breaking a sweat, she didn't stop until all the squirrel monsters were down.

She caught her breath, and looked back to her brother who is shown with the swollen cheek she gave him. Before she could walk up to Lincoln, she fell to the ground exhausted from the fight. She felt like she had to get up, but for some reason, she couldn't. "Hang in there, Lincoln. I'm coming to get you back. And we will be a family again." Lynn closed her eyes just as she saw a bright light fill her eyesight. She knew that her comatose stasis was coming to an end.

As Lynn began to open her eyes, she felt surprised as an old creature was revealed right in front of her face. That old creature was dressed in a green tracksuit, and his cap is white and worn backwards. He also has square headphones around his neck. Lynn couldn't even scream because of her exhaustion. " Ahoy! Octoling!" The old creature cried. "Up and at 'em, ya lazy whiffle-whaffle!" Lynn tilted her head to get the creature's attention. "This fight ain't over!" The creature said. "Prepare for a royal whoopin'!"

Just then, the creature's headset goes off. "Captain, do you read me? Over," said the voice over the headphones. Lynn was startled, for she knew that voice was Lincoln's. "Loud and clear, Agent 4," said the 'Captain'. "I have found the rampaging Octoling." "Please don't hurt her, I need her alive," said Lincoln. The creature was confused, "How important is this Octoling?" "That's my sister, Lynn," replied Lincoln.

"She was the one we fought earlier before we got ambushed," said another voice. This voice was completely unfamiliar to Lynn, because she never heard her. "Well, I don't see why I should attack her, Agent 3," said the creature. "There's no honor in defeating an unarmed opponent. She must've lost her weapon somewhere around here." The creature looks up seeing that he's lost in a subway tunnel. "And just where is... here... anyway?"

Lynn takes up most of her strength to get up on her knees. She places her hand on her head like it took a pounding. "What happened to me?" Lynn asked the creature. "Even I don't know," replied the creature. "But the last thing I remember was that you were battling both of my protégés Agent's 3 and 4 down here, when you three were suddenly attacked by someone. And somehow we ended up lost in these tunnels."

Lynn takes a deep breath and finally has the strength to get up on her feet. As she looked down on herself, she could see that her entire outfit had been replaced. She is currently wearing a black leather crop top with one long sleeve, a leather skirt and boots, and two neon yellow bands on her ankle and wrist. "What am I wearing?" Lynn asked herself. "So uh… hows about we call a temporary truce while we find a way to escape?" The creature offers his hand to Lynn, with Lynn looking at his hand.

Lynn showed some concern with trusting a stranger, but when she heard Lincoln's voice, her nerves were calm enough to believe that he could help her. She takes his hand and shakes it well. "Okay ol' timer," she said. "By the way, my name is Lynn Loud Jr." This statement made the creature blush in embarrassment, "Oh where are my manners, Lynn. I'm Cap'n Cuttlefish, leader of the New Squidbeak Splatoon!"

Lynn feels a sharp pain in her head and catches it with her free arm. "What's the last thing you remember, Lynn?" Cap'n Cuttlefish asked. "I ran into the entrance of a subway tunnel," Lynn began. "I went deeper and deeper in the tunnels until it got very dark. Suddenly, I felt something latching on to my body as if I was being grabbed. I slipped and blacked out, and that was it." "By kraken, you don't know what happened after you passed out? Anything at all?" Cap'n asked.

Lynn just shook her head. "How long was I out?" "Two days," replied Cap'n Cuttlefish. "That's when I found you. I also noticed you were humming the Calamari Inkantation right before you came to…" Lynn took the time to remember the tune, "Oh yeah, I heard the Squid Sisters sing it before Lincoln took down that evil Octopus." "Guess the heavenly melody has etched into your soul," said Cap'n Cuttlefish. "Makes a good pep song for my workout," said Lynn.

"I've heard stories of Octolings whose souls were etched by those squid tactic grooves," said Cap'n Cuttlefish. "But that was a couple years back, during Agent 3's battle with DJ Octavio. Still, I can't shake the feeling that this is related somehow." Lynn takes the time to stretch herself when she felt a few bruises on her arms. "Where did I get these?" Lynn asked herself. "I suppose I should apologize for siccing Agent's 3 and 4 on you back there," said Cuttlefish.

Lynn was shocked, "You sent your protege and my brother to attack me?" Cuttlefish backed up with ease, "You have your brother to thank. He went a little easy on you when he found out who you were. Any fan of the Squid Sisters is a fan of mine! I mean it with all of my hearts." Lynn was confused, "Hearts?" "I have three hearts," the captain replied.

"Now finish stretching, we need to get moving!" Captain said in a triumphant tone. Lynn finished stretching her legs and looked ahead to the subway gates. "Alright, ol' timer, let's find us a way out of here," she said. The two climb through an abandoned subway train and follow the tracks deep in the tunnel.

As they walked, Lynn looked to Cap'n Cuttlefish with concern. She asked him,"So, is my brother okay?" Cap'n Cuttlefish turned to Lynn, "He's tough. Though he did come by with a bruise on his face." That response made Lynn upset, "He said it was just a sibling squabble, nothing serious," he said. Lynn looked down, "That's only a half truth…"

Before Lynn could explain, the two wandering creatures arrive in what looks like a large metro station. "Now where are we?" Lynn asked. "I'm not sure," replied Cap'n Cuttlefish. "Look around, and see if we can find anything useful." The two split up and explore the metro station. As Lynn looked around, she could see blueprints drawn in what looks like a newsstand, a makeshift bed, and ink drag marks on the floor.

Lynn came to a sudden realization and went back to the Captain looking over old papers. "Captain, I think I know where we are!" That made the old timer jump up, "Oh dear, you surprised me." "Sorry," said Lynn. "Anyway, I think we are in the metro station where my younger sister, Lisa, said she remained until Octavio captured her." Captain Cuttlefish was startled hearing Octavio squid napping a little girl. "That means the way back to my home is somewhere close by!" "When you said home, you mean Lincoln's home, Royal Woods?" Captain asked. Lynn nodded, "Yes! If I can find us the way home, Lincoln will surely forgive me."

Just then, they hear a slight ringing in the middle of the metro station. They find what looked like an old fashioned telephone. Lynn slowly approaches it, and inspects the device. "Looks like Lisa was able to repair this thing," she said. She finds old parts that relate to her assumption. She answers the phone and a robotic voice is heard, "Searching for User ID… User 10,008 confirmed,"

The phone grows silent for a minute, "Greetings 10,008. Aka, Lynn Loud Jr. Your current location is: Deepsea Metro Station. Thanks to my savior, 10,002, Lisa Loud, I can continue my primary function. Which is to facilitate your journey to the Promised Land. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Lynn was stunned at first, because the telephone knew her name. But she regained her composure when it mentioned Lisa's name.

"Can you help us find a way back to Royal Woods?" Lynn asked. The telephone replied, "What's crackalackin home skillet? Let's bounce to the Promised Land for sho. I am bout it bout it, so listen while I [Slang_Not_Found] you the facts." Lynn decided to listen carefully, for she believed that this could be her chance to regain Lincoln's trust.

"You have spent your entire life in the dark. Your eyes closed to the new hotness that awaits," said the telephone. "The Promised Land. A utopia of light beyond your wildest dreams. It is all that and a bag of cool beans." The telephone paused, then said, "Are you ready to go to the Promised Land now?" Lynn replied, "Yes, which way is the way to Royal Woods?"

The phone replied, "PSYCHE!" Then gave off a static sound, irritating Lynn's ears. "Only cats who have proven themselves can [Error] the Promised Land. Do you dig dog?" Lynn looked down, knowing it was too good to be true. "This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo. Good luck!" Lynn just couldn't give up, not after everything Lincoln and their family went through.

Lynn took a deep breath and said, "Alright, how can I prove to you that I've got what it takes to return home?" "This is Deepsea Metro Central Station, the realio, dealio central hub of the facility. Here's your CQ-80 and CQ card, they are so bad." The phone then develops a card and clicker device in front of Lynn. "Guard them with your lizzife, because if you lose them, you will be [ERROR]." Lynn picked up the device and card and looked back at the telephone, "Now come on ride the train. Outtie 5000."

As the telephone switched off, Lynn turned back to Captain Cuttlefish who had an interesting look on his face. "Applicant 10,008, eh? That's a beakful." "Oh, and I suppose you can do better than a phone?" Lynn teased. "Indeed I can," Cap'n Cuttlefish replied. "I think I'll just call you Agent 8." Lynn smiled, "Agent 8, I like that, Cap'n."

"You think this 'Promised Land' is the way back to your home?" Lynn nodded, "It has to be, I just know it." The Captain smiled, "Then there's no time to waste! Let's get moving!" Just then, a subway train arrives at the station. The two enter the car and the train drives off. Captain Cuttlefish and Lynn take a seat awaiting their first destination.

While they were sitting, Captain Cuttlefish gets another call on his headphones. "Come in Cap'n, are you there?" Captain Cuttlefish took the time to reply to the voice, "A bit faint, Agent 3. We're on the subway train now, so we might lose you." Then, the communication was completely cut off. "Must be the moving subway car," said Lynn. "We'll probably get a better reception when we stop," said Captain Cuttlefish.

Lynn looks down feeling a bit gloomy, and Captain Cuttlefish takes notice. "What's the matter, Agent 8?" Lynn took a deep breath, "It's my fault. I'm the reason Lincoln had that bruise mark on his cheek." Captain Cuttlefish was intrigued, "What happened?" Lynn proceeded to tell Captain Cuttlefish what happened before Lincoln was called for help.

Just then, a small blue creature entered the subway car and greeted the two. "Thank you for using Deepsea Metro today. I am your humble conductor, C.Q. Cumber." "You gotta be squidding me. A talking sea slug?" Captain Cuttlefish asked. "Pardon me? I take it this is your first time riding with us," said C. . "Here's the deal: We're in a vast underground facility operated by the Kamabo Corporation. It's a series of test chambers connected by the Deepsea Metro subway system."

C.Q. Cumber looks over to Lynn and sees the small device the telephone gave her. "I see that you're in possession of a CQ-80 device." Lynn nodded silently. "I take it your aim is to reach the promised land?" C.Q. Cumber asked. "That's right, we're trying to find the way to get my family home to Royal Woods," replied Lynn.

C.Q. Cumber nodded his head, "Understood. The Promised Land is a paradise to which we denizens of the depths are forbidden entry. To reach it, you must pass a test at each Deepsea Metro station. You must also find and collect the Four Thangs. When all Four Thangs are gathered, the door to the Promised Land will unlock."

Lynn began to feel a beacon of hope shine on her face, "So all I gotta do is pass some tests, find four Thangs and we can find a way back home?" "I believe so," replied C.Q. Cumber. "Let me show you your first test. Activate your CQ-80." Lynn takes the device and pushes the button, revealing a holographic map of the subway tunnels. "Technology these days," Captain Cuttlefish murmured to himself. "Just select a destination and we'll be on our way," said C.Q. Cumber. Lynn selected the first destination that was above Central Station. "Now departing for the first test," said C. Q. Cumber.

The train takes them to the first destination and comes to a stop. As Lynn leaves the train, C.Q. Cucumber gives her more advice. "At each station the available weapons will be displayed atop the equipper. CQ points are required to take each test. We'll grant you 1,000 points to start with. The test fee indicates the number of CQ points needed to take the test. The reward is how many CQ points you will earn for passing the test." Lynn takes the weapon offered to her, the Splattershot and Splat Bomb. "If you'd like more info about a certain test, come talk to me. I'm always happy to help," said C.Q. Cumber.

Lynn walks to the turnstyle, pays the points for the test, and begins. She starts spraying her ink on plastic trees and crates scattered across the area. Until she heard a bland, but robotic voice, "Target acquired, preparing to destroy." It was an Octoling, but this one had a blue and green look to it. "An Octoling? You're an Octoling, maybe you can try to talk to her," said Captain Cuttlefish. Just then, Lincoln's voice comes out of Captain's headphones. "LYNN! Do not approach! Attack with your weapon!" Out of instinct, Lynn did what Lincoln told her to do.

As she splattered the Octoling away, Lincoln and Agent 3 communicated with Lynn and Cap'n. "Those Octolings are not like the ones we fought," said Agent 3. "They're acting like robotic slaves," said Lincoln. "What do I do, Lincoln?" Lynn asked. "Fight. Get them before they get you," Lincoln replied. "It's what we champions do best."

Hearing Lincoln call her a champion gave her the confidence to fight her way through the arena. "Always claim more turf before they do. It gives you more room to hide for an ambush," said Lincoln. Lynn did just that before she faced the last Octoling. As the Octoling used her jetpack attack, she ran out of steam and went back to where she launched. Until Lynn surprised her and splatted her away. As she reached the end, she passed her first test.

She makes her way back to the train with C.Q. Cucumber behind her. "Congratulations, you passed your first test," he said. Lynn reveals something in her hand to C.Q. Cumber. It was a small little memento that looked like an inkling. "Any idea what this is, C.Q.?" Lynn asked. "That is called a mem cake," C.Q. Cumber replied. "You'll receive these when you pass your tests. Mem cakes are formed by compressing memories into physical forms."

Then, two new stations open up for Lynn to take. But then, Cap'n Cuttlefish pulls out a device that makes a strange noise. "Agent 3, Agent 4, do you copy?" Then, a familiar voice came out from the other end "Mic check, one-two, who the heck are you?!" "Excuse me?" Cap'n replied. Then, another voice is heard, "Pearl, didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

Soon after, more familiar voices were heard. "Is this literally a prank call?" "Those are, like, really annoying." "Dudes, is this part of the podcast?" Lynn was able to recognize them all. They were her sisters, "Girls, are you okay?" "Lynn?! Is that you?" Luan asked. "What happened, you've been gone for two days?" Not caring how long she was out, Lynn continued to talk, "I'm lost in a subway station with an old timer named Captain Cuttlefish."

After explaining what Lynn went through, the girls grew worried and excited at the same time. "I think the best thing you guys could do is communicate where you are. If you guys go down that tunnel, you might get lost too." "Okay, Lynn," said Lori. "Just be careful and make sure Lincoln comes back safe." "Guaranteed," said Lynn.

"So who are the first two voices?" Cap'n Cuttlefish asked. "I'm Pearl, but you can call me MC. Princess," replied Pearl. " _My deets? I'm short and sweet! I spit that fire make posers perspire. Step into my game? I'll bring the pain. I'm never shook because I'm OFF THE HOOK!_" "Oho?! Are you stepping on me with a rap battle?" Cap'n asked. "MC Craig in the House!"

The two get into a rap battle until the second voice breaks it up. "These girls, plus three boys, found a radio, and heard your transmission. Where are you calling from?" "We're calling from the subway tunnels," replied Captain Cuttlefish. "Someone seemed to have taken me and Agent 8 deep underground." "So you don't know exactly where you are? Don't worry, from now on, you'll have me, Marina - aka DJ_Hyperfresh, supporting you both."

"I'll get to work analyzing your surroundings, and hopefully we'll all be of some help to you," said Lisa. "We got you!" Lana, Lola, and Pearl said simultaneously. "Thanks for your help girls," said Lynn. "We're off to pass some tests and make our way to the Promised Land!" "Time to get after it, Agent 8!" Cap'n Cuttlefish said.

Lynn looks through the window of the subway car feeling a bit worried. What started as a search and rescue mission, turned into a series of obstacles standing in her way. 'Don't worry Lincoln, I'll find you. I promise,' she thought. Just then, Cuttlefish's device goes off again. "Come in, Lynn. Do you copy?"

It was Lincoln and Agent 3 again. "I hear you Lincoln," said Lynn. "Listen carefully, Lynn," said Lincoln. I'm gonna help you get through this. Me and Agent 3 have experienced a lot of turf battling and fighting Octarians. No one else knows this better than us, and Ronnie Anne. Just let us know what's going on and we'll give you advice if you're stuck. Deal?" Lynn nodded, "Deal, Lincoln." As they started to lose their signal, Lynn had to act fast. "Lincoln, before anything else I wanna-" At that instant Lincoln was cut off again.

Agent 3 looked to Lincoln, seeing him in a gloomy state. "Do you suppose?" she asked. Lincoln just nodded, as he knew what she was trying to say. But as for Lynn, she grew anxious, for she didn't get the chance to apologize to her brother for what she did. "Next time, Lincoln, I will apologize to you. And I will mean it, with all my heart." Lynn looks to her CQ-80 and points to her next destination.

**And that does it for Metro Madness. Just to clarify, the next chapter is going to be time skipped because of how long it takes to play the Octo Expansion. Lynn will proceed to pass all the tests, but I'll be focusing on the major plot events. Hopefully, the next chapter is going to be great. Until next time! Stay Fresh! Don't get cooked, Stay Off the Hook!**


	13. Shawsplat Shokan

Throughout the whole metro, Lynn and Captain Cuttlefish were traveling from one test to another. Lynn insisted that she go through all the tests in the metro, though Captain Cuttlefish told her that it's not necessary. He reminds her that they need to find all the Four Thangs to reach the Promised Land. Lynn was aware of their main objective, but she stated that challenges are her specialty.

While she was going through the tests, she meets a horseshoe crab creature named Iso Padre who wishes to see all the mem cakes she collects in exchange for gear. After completing a single set, she starts to feel good about herself. But there were times when she needed help.

In certain challenges, Lynn fails at least two times which make her feel frustrated. Thankfully, Lincoln and her sisters were there to guide her. They give her words of encouragement, some tips on how to overcome obstacles, and to breathe at a steady pace. She takes their words to heart, and overcomes the tough challenges.

After completing all the challenges and collecting all the mem cakes, Lynn looks to Captain Cuttlefish with glee. She performs her victory dance like she does back home, "Aw Yeah! I won! Lynner Lynner Chicken Dinner!" She squawks like a chicken and does the worm dance. "Is she doing her victory dance?" Lincoln asked Cuttlefish. "She sure is, Agent 4," he replied. "She surely has the fire within her." "It's what defines Lynn Loud Jr," said Lincoln. "A winner who never gives up on her dreams."

"Now that the challenges are out of the way, should we focus on finding the Four Thangs?" Cuttlefish asked Lynn. Lynn smiles, "Of course ol' timer.." She takes her CQ-80 and guides the train to the first Thang located in station B. She makes her way to the top of the pathway, only to find that the Thang was unguarded. "Seriously? No Octarians guarding this?" She takes her weapon and breaks open the shield. With one out of the Four Thangs collected, Lynn is one step closer to victory.

As she takes the first Thang to Deepsea Metro Central Station, the telephone congratulates her. "Congratz! You found the First Thang! Find all four and you'll [ERROR] the Promised Land! Keep on keeping on!" Captain Cuttlefish looks at the first Thang, and so does Lynn. "These thangs are as weird as this place, but we gotta get out of here somehow," said Captain Cuttlefish. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that thang looks familiar from back home," said Lynn. "But the only way I'll know for sure, is if I bring the other three thangs back." "I'm counting on you, Agent 8," said Captain Cuttlefish.

While Lynn takes the metro and collects the other three thangs, she puts the pieces of the puzzle together. "Captain! It's just as I thought!" "What is it?" Cuttlefish asked. "These pieces make up a giant blender!" Lynn said. "Back home, I use blenders to make protein shakes to stay fit." "I guess this blender has been modified as a doorway to the Promised Land," said Captain Cuttlefish. "I'm guessing that this is our lucky day," said Lynn. She takes the last piece back to Central Station.

With all four Thangs collected, Captain Cuttlefish grew anxious. "What's wrong ol' timer?" Lynn asked. "I'm just worried about Agents 3 and 4," replied Cuttlefish. He makes a drawing of the two agents and shows it to Lynn. "Think a missing person poster would help us find them?" Lynn looked at his drawing and said, "It's worth a shot." Captain Cuttlefish sticks the drawing onto the telephone just as it activates.

"Congratulations, number 10,008! The door to the Promised Land will now open!" said the telephone. The telephone's crank begins to spin very fast until its backside opens up. The telephone somehow was able to put the Thangs together and became what looked like a giant blender. "I knew it looked like a blender," said Lynn. "Please step inside, don't be shy!" said the telephone. As Lynn and Captain Cuttlefish were about to step in, the Loud Sisters, Citrus Bloopers, and Off the Hook tried to contact them. But, there was too much static until the two stepped in.

As the door closed, Captain Cuttlefish said, "Home Sweet Home, here we come!" Then, the group was able to contact them again. "GUYS! IT'S A TRAP!" cried Pearl and Marina. But it was too late. "Ingredient Acquisition Complete…" said the telephone. "Reformatting matter…" The telephone turned on the blades inside the blender and prepared to turn them into a smoothie.

Lynn realized that she was being tricked by a machine. She started punching the glass to break free. "Let Us Out!" she cried. But the glass was too strong to break off. "Lisa can't you hack into the blender?" asked Lori. "I'm trying, but something is protecting the software of the phone." "You built that phone, didn't you, Lisa?" Leni asked. "I didn't, someone else did," Lisa replied.

As the blades got closer to Lynn and Captain Cuttlefish, Marina got an idea, "I'm going to activate the distress signal on Agent 8's CQ-80. Cross your fingers!" As she activated the signal, Lynn and Cuttlefish closed their eyes. Lynn looked back and got upset, thinking that all of this was for nothing. This scavenger hunt was nothing but a waste of time, when she could be making up for what she did to her brother.

As a tear fell from her face, a loud crash was heard from the roof. It was Agent 3 and Agent 4, aka Citra and Lincoln. "LYNN!" Lincoln cried as he and Agent 3 smashed their bodies on the telephone. The resulting hit broke off the telephone and destroyed the blender just in time. Lynn and Captain Cuttlefish dove away from the blades before they could hit them.

"Holy mackerel - we made it?" Cuttlefish asked. "They're alive!" Luna cried. The girls cheered for their escape until Marina spoke up. "Sweet! The distress signal worked." Lynn stood up still woozy from almost becoming a smoothie. "That cheapskate phone lied to us," she said in an angry tone.

The two look over to see Agent 3 and Agent 4 lying on the floor. "Agents?! Where have you been?" Captain Cuttlefish asked. He gets no response from the two. "Ah, fish sticks! They're out cold." This made the Loud sisters a little upset, "We have to get them out of here," said Luan.

Lynn just stomped her foot to the ground and gritted her teeth. "HOW!?" she shouted. "It's like this world just wants me to fail! I lost my temper and hit my brother! I lost my way and ended up trapped in an underground abandoned station! And now, I almost lost my life for a stupid box telling me the way home is through a giant blender!" The group could hear her frustration and try to talk her down, "Woah, Lynn take it easy," said Lucy in her calm but monotone voice. "I could spend days in this ridiculous subway, and I would come up with no way of getting out or finding a way home! This is dumb!"

Lynn runs out of steam and sits down instantly. "I just want to make things right," she said as she started crying. "Lynn, sometimes things don't go the way we want them to," said Del. "That's a part of life, you win some, you lose some." "That's the problem, I don't like to lose," said Lynn. "If you don't lose, how are you going to learn?" Ruta asked.

Lynn looks to her feet and remembers the baseball game in which she lost. Before that game, she trained day in and day out, nonstop. She tried to convince her teammates to follow her superstitious beliefs before the big game, but they ignored how much she believed them. She focused too much on her beliefs before she knew that her team lost.

Lynn takes a deep breath and leans her head back on a metal door. That's when Lisa spoke up, "Lynn! You found it!" "Found what?" Lynn asked. "Just hold on for a second," replied Lisa. The door automatically opens revealing a glowing puddle of water in the middle of the small room. Lynn gazed in magnificence, realizing what that puddle is. "I'm seeing a glowing puddle," she said. "That's where I came from when I arrived in Inkopolis!" said Lisa. "We have found our way home!" The girls cheered and so did Pearl, Marina, and the Citrus Bloopers. "Guess things have a way of turning around after all," said Pearl.

"Now that we've found our way back to Royal Woods, all that's left is how to get out of here," said Lynn. Captain Cuttlefish looks back at the unconscious agents and finds a device similar to Lynn's CQ-80. "I think that may be an employee-model of the CQ-80," said Marina. "I'll see if I can access it."

After a few seconds, Marina spoke up, "Oh my goodness, these are blueprints to the entire Kamabo Co.'s test facility." As soon as she said the name Kamabo, Lynn's head started to hurt. Her head feels like it was being squeezed by a vise, and someone is tightening its grip. But she shrugged it off just in time for Captain Cuttlefish to turn around and face her.

"Agent 8, both of our agents have come through," he said. "The device Pearl and Marina hacked found us a way out." Lynn smiled, "Great, where do we start?" "First, you'll want to head up through the hole the two agents made," said Marina. "I'll wait here until Agents 3 and 4 wake up," said Captain Cuttlefish. "No squid left behind! You go on ahead." Lynn enters her octopus form and launches out of the roof of the station.

While sneaking through the phases of the exit, Lynn comes across some rare symbols that looked vaguely familiar to her. But she remains focused on the mission of getting out and returning to Inkopolis. But the deeper she went, the stronger the thought got. It wasn't long until she entered a room that gave her deep chills.

She stumbles into what looked like an abandoned testing facility. All the computers were damaged, a large capsule was broken, and there were IV needles that were made to inject that green ooze in an Octarian's bloodstream. She looks with fright and then her head hurts again, "What's wrong Agent 8?" Pearl asked. "I'm in an abandoned testing laboratory," said Lynn. "But that's not all. I was a test subject here!" This made her sisters gasp in shock. Lynn thinks back to all she could possibly remember.

_(Flashback)_

Lynn was being dragged off by the mysterious figures, who happen to be the brainwashed Octarians. They took her into the lab that looked much cleaner than before. "We've got another test subject, Commander," said the Octoling. The Commander was nowhere to be seen, but somehow they knew he was there. "Perfect, put her in the capsule," the Commander said in a robotic voice.

The next day, Lynn vaguely opens her eyes and begins to lose her mind. She starts showing off violent emotions and punches on the glass. "The subject is successful with injection of the substance Commander," said the Octarian. "So what is the problem?" Commander asked. "Her responses are unpredictable," the Octarian replied. "There's no guarantee that she'll follow your orders without questions." "Then keep her in stasis!"

Lynn kept banging until she successfully broke out of the capsule, just in time before she could lose consciousness again. Without thinking she beat down the Octarian and destroyed all the equipment that was in the laboratory. "10,008! Stop!" ordered the Commander. Lynn breaks the loudspeaker and races out of the lab.

_(Flashback Ends)_

Lynn took a deep breath and lost the squeezing feeling in her head. "It all makes sense," said Lynn. "But, there's only one question," said Luna. "Who's the commander?" "I don't know," replied Lynn. "But I don't want to be around to find out." Then, the group hears a scratchy robotic voice. "Blah blah…" "Telephone?" Cuttlefish asked. "Cap'n, what's going on with that phone?" Lisa asked. "What are you doing to the agents?"

"You scraps of seafood will pay for this!" the telephone cried. Just then, Captain Cuttlefish screamed, "GYAHHH!" "Cap'n! Are you there?" Pearl asked. "Answer us!" said Ruta. Then they get contacted by the telephone again, "Number 10,008, why are you associating with these superfluous nobodies?" "What did you do to my brother?!" Lynn cried. "You could've been part of the winning species, 10,008. Now it's too late," said the telephone.

"I thought Lincoln and Agent 3 destroyed that phone," said Lola. "Guess whoever invented that phone happened to be a genius, other than myself," said Lisa. "That robotic voice is whoever nabbed me," said Lynn. "I couldn't figure out what his name is, but he goes by Commander." "Whoever the commander is, we'll find out," said Pearl. "Until then, keep climbing Agent 8," said Marina. "Because Cap'n Cuttlefish, and Agents 3 and 4, are climbing higher than you right now."

Eventually, Lynn made her way to what is called the spinal phase, which happens to be the final phase, before she reaches the surface. "Any word from Lincoln and the others?" Lynn asked. "Nope," replied Pearl. "Maybe they made it up to the surface." "I literally hope that they're okay," said Lori. "So do we," said Luna.

Lynn gets on the elevator and it makes its way to the surface. "I'm almost there girls," said Lynn. "We'll come get you in the chopper, so wait up there with Cap'n and the agents, okay?" asked Pearl. Lynn nodded, "Okay!" Just then, the elevator stopped. "Guys, the elevator stopped," said Lynn. "We know," said Lana. "We're working on it right now," said Lisa.

While she was waiting, Lynn looked up to see someone up there wearing capes. It looked like it was Agent 3 and Agent 4, but there was something different about them. "Lincoln? Agent 3? Is that you?" Lynn asked. The agents turn around, revealing a glob of glowing ooze on their heads. Captain Cuttlefish was behind them, dangling upside down all tied up. "Agent 8! Be careful!" he cried. "Their minds have been hijacked by that crazy phone!"

Agents 3 and 4 jump down on the elevator preparing to fight Lynn. "Guess history repeats itself," said Lincoln. " Last time we fought, we were close to taking you down," said Agent 3. "I hesitated last time, I won't make that mistake again!" Lincoln fired his weapon at Lynn and Lynn dodged it.

Lynn tried to reason with the agents, "Lincoln, Agent 3, please. I don't want to do this." The agents wouldn't listen. "You should've thought of that before you punched your brother," said Agent 3. Lynn was scared of fighting back, but the only way to save them was to get the goo off of their heads. Lynn uses her splat bomb to splatter them from behind.

The agents retaliated and used every one of their special abilities against Lynn. But thanks to their advice they gave her earlier, Lynn used their disadvantages against them. "Go get 'em Agent 8!" said Captain Cuttlefish. Lynn continued to give them all she's got.

Lynn grew exhausted from the fight, and the brainwashed agents took that to their advantage. They began splatting her with the glowing ooze until she was surrounded by it. Lynn, almost completely covered with the ooze, took a knee defending only little ink left under her feet. "So how does it feel?" Lynn looks up to Lincoln glaring at him. "To be beaten by someone who you considered weak?" Agent 3 walks up beside Lincoln. "But I don't understand. After everything you said to me. After everything you did to me. You want me back? Why?"

Lynn looks down and feels for her splat bomb. Then looks back up to the brainwashed agents. "Because I made a promise..." was all Lynn said before she detonated her splat bomb on them. The resulting explosion destroyed the goo that was stuck on their heads. "...that I would look after my brother,"

The fight was over, and the two Agents were out cold again. The elevator started to move again, and the team was on their way. "Well done, Agent 8!" said Captain Cuttlefish while Lynn was untying him. "I just hope I didn't hurt them too bad," said Lynn. "They'll be fine. Trust me, I've been there," said Cuttlefish. The elevator stops and the two see a ladder. "It's a way out," said Lynn.

Lynn climbs the ladder and opens the hatch leading to the surface. Lynn gets a grand view of Inkopolis on the horizon. Seeing the sun in the east, indicated that the time was almost dawn. Lynn smiled at her accomplishment, because not only did she go through an entire subway station to help her brother. She also found the way back to Royal Woods, their home.

Captain Cuttlefish climbed out, with Lincoln and Agent 3 still out cold behind them. "So, how are we going to get back to Inkopolis?" Cuttlefish asked. "Our ride is on its way," said Lynn. Just then, they hear helicopters heading in their direction. Lynn smiled to see her sisters and friends again. The Loud sisters and their friends were in one chopper, while Pearl and Marina were in another. "Guys!" Lynn cried. "We got you!" Pearl shouted.

The choppers grab Lynn, Captain Cuttlefish, Lincoln, and Agent 3, and start their journey to Inkopolis. "Now we can breathe easily, brahs," said Luna. Then, Pearl and Captain Cuttlefish get into a rap song. Lynn rolled her eyes along with Marina. But as Lynn looked away, she saw something grab her attention. The platform the choppers picked her up from, started climbing out of the water.

This grabbed everyone else's attention as well. As the platform stopped climbing, it revealed itself to be a large statue head. "What is that?" Pearl asked. "That form," Cuttlefish murmured. "They were said to have been destroyed so long ago. It's… Human!" Beside the Loud sisters, the Santiagos, and Clyde, the Inklings were shocked to see a statue of a human being.

Lynn looks through the right eye to see something inside. "Hey! It's that telephone!" she cried. "Commander Tartar in da House!" cried the telephone. "[Disabling contemporary speech mode]" "You were the commander behind all of this?!" Lynn asked? "That's right," it said, "I am Tatar, an AI construct created 12,000 years ago by a brilliant professor. My primary directive was to pass humanity's vast knowledge on to the next worthy lifeform. But suddenly, I was disabled by an unknown force. Until, I was rebuilt thanks to a young Octoling."

Everyone looked to Lisa, who was amazed that she reconstructed a long forgotten Artificial Intelligence. "When your kind became self-aware, I hoped that my long wait was finally over," Tartar said as he began to shake. "But as I observed your evolution, I was DISGUSTED! You wage war over minor genetic deviations, you obsess over trivial fashion choices! And so, I have created a new primary directive: To destroy this world and start anew!"

Everyone gasps in shock as Commander Tartar continues his monologue, "From the best and brightest test subjects, I created a sludge of supreme DNA. A primordial ooze from which the ultimate lifeform will emerge. Today is the day my vision becomes reality, as I destroy Inkopolis and everyone in it!" Commander Tartar activates his supreme weapon that appears out of the statue's mouth.

"Yo… What the heck is that?" Pearl asked. Lisa began to analyze the weapon with her computer she purchased in Inkopolis. "It appears to be a super cannon, picking up massive amounts of energy emanating from the statue." "That doesn't sound good," said Leni. "It's not," said Lisa. "That statue is charging up enough energy to destroy the entire world." "How do we stop it?" asked Pearl. "It seems to me that the entire statue is absorbing the rays from the sun and converting it into solar energy," said Marina. "So by covering the statue up with substance from a cephalopod, we can halt its charging procedure," concluded Lisa.

"We can use the hyperbombs I've been working on," said Marina. "But they're not ready to detonate remotely." Lynn comes up with an idea, "If you can throw the bombs at certain locations of the statue, I can detonate them manually." "That could work," said Pearl. "But, you'll have to shoot each one," said Lori. "Meanwhile, while it's not charging, Pearl will need to hit it with a full-power battle cry," said Marina.

Pearl was a little nervous, "I haven't done that in forever. I don't even know if I can do it anymore." Luna then spoke up, "Don't worry brah, I can help you with that battle cry. I'm the loudest rockstar in the whole family." Pearl nodded, "Okay." "Better warm up your vocal chords, ladies cause that cannon is going to fire in t-minus 3 minutes," said Lisa. "Then, let's get to work!" Lynn cried.

"What about me?" asked Captain Cuttlefish. "I need you to keep an eye on my brother in case he wakes up," said Lynn. Lynn turns to Lincoln, who is still unconscious. "Lincoln, whatever happens next, I just want to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. If I could go back in time, I would take back that punch and those awful words. And every time I pushed you was because I believed in you. You have great potential, your spirit is strong, and the way you never gave up makes me happy. It foolishly took me this long to realize you had that fire all along. And all those times that I called you bad luck, it was because I was scared. I just didn't think that I would be good enough to stand next to you, and call you my brother. And say to you, I love you." She looks to the statue as she prepares to launch, "I love you so much, Lincoln Loud! And I'm doing this for you!"

Lynn launches to the statue and lands near the chest area. Marina launches the first wave of hyperbombs and Lynn detonates them. Time was of the essence so Lynn had to act fast and carefully. "Submit to your destruction. Your time is over, semi-sentient seafood," said Commander Tartar. Lynn detonates more hyperbombs on the neck, the back, and the statue's right arm, covering most of the area in pink ink.

With only one minute left, Marina dropped the last set of hyperbombs all over the head of the statue. Lynn rides the rails, detonating every single one of the bombs. "Cease! Desist, 10,008!" cried Commander Tartar. "Your world must be pulverized!" Lynn rides to the top of the head and detonates the last hyperbomb. "The statue has stopped charging!" cried Marina.

Lynn takes one last look at Commander Tartar before the chopper swung by. "I don't understand," the AI said. "The Octarians were easily influenced under the primordial ooze. Why weren't you affected?" Lynn smiled, "Because I'm not from this world. In my world, I am a human female, a loving sister to nine girls and one boy. And like my brother said, I wouldn't trade them for the world." Lynn takes her leap from the statue and back to the chopper.

Lynn makes it back to her sisters and friends, and right on time too. "Energy readings don't indicate a full charge," said Lisa. "But that robot is going to fire that cannon anyway!" "Number 10,008!" shouted Commander Tartar. "No test subject has worked so hard to spoil my plans, but now you will blend into… the perfect world the professor envisioned! Farewell to you and to that worthless cesspool of a city!"

Pearl and Luna jump to the platform where Lynn and Cuttlefish are. "Great work sis, we'll take it from here," said Luna. "Vocal Chords Ready!" cried Pearl. "Ayo Statue!" Pearl takes out her giant megaphone and aims at the statue. Everyone knew at that point, it was the moment of truth. One mistake could cost them their lives.

Commander Tartar fires the super cannon, at the same time Pearl and Luna shouted their battle cries. "BOOYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The synchronized duo gave off a powerful blast of energy; it overpowered the cannon's blast and into the statue's mouth. Inside the statue, crates, scrubbers, and brainwashed Octarians were washed out and plunged into the ocean below. Inside the statue's eye, Commander Tartar was badly damaged from the blast. He was broken beyond repair, and knew that it was his time to join his creator. "Grk..! g-g-gaahh. professor… our reunion...beckons. Krrrrhhhhssssshhhhh." Commander Tartar's Artificial mind turned off, ceasing the phone to function. Commander Tartar was gone.

Back at the chopper, the Inklings and Octarians celebrated their victory preventing a disaster worldwide. Marina ran over to hug Pearl and tackled her to the ground. Captain Cuttlefish danced with joy, trying not to hurt his hips. The Loud Sisters gave Lynn and Luna a group hug in celebration of their victory. "Congratulations Lynn, Luna! You literally saved us all!" cried Lori. "That was like way too close," said Leni. "I got to hand it to you Lynn, you got guts," said Del. "You could be a great battler after all," said Ruta.

"I'll say," said a familiar voice. The group stood in silence and turned to see Lincoln and Agent 3 awake. "Citra! Thank goodness!" said Del and Ruta, as they hug their best friend. Lincoln looks to his sisters, and his friends who are overwhelmed to see him again. Lynn broke free from the hug to have a serious moment with her brother.

"Lincoln, I…" was all Lynn said before Lincoln put up his hand to stop. "I heard what you said before you jumped to that statue." Lynn stood in shock, "And I have to say, I'm so proud of what you've done. You traveled through multiple subway tunnels to find us, and a way home. You saved me and my friend from becoming mindless soldiers. You saved all of Inkopolis from a crazy phone. And now, I can finally tell you this. I forgive you. And I love you too, Lynn Loud Jr. Always have, and always will." He holds out his arms offering Lynn a hug, and she just rushes in crying tears of joy. She finally has her brother back.

Lincoln looks to his sisters and friends. "Well, what are you waiting for, an invitation? Get in here, this is our thing." The rest of the Loud sisters, Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and Clyde all get in for one big group hug. "Let's head back to Inkopolis," said Lynn. "Lincoln's got a tournament to win." Lincoln looks to Lynn with a smile on his face. "You really mean it, Lynn?" "Of course, you made a commitment to your team. And it's important that a team sees it through to compete in a big tournament." Lincoln, his family and friends all look to Inkopolis with the sun rising high in the morning sky, indicating a new day upon the world of Inkopolis.

**And that's that! Lynn has finally been granted forgiveness from her brother Lincoln, and has blessed him with entering Splatfest that's happening soon. We are so close to the end, I guarantee it. Just a few more chapters to go! Until next time, Stay Fresh! Don't get cooked! Stay off the Hook!**


	14. Splatfest! Citrus' vs Tubers!

Life in Inkopolis was getting better by the second. After the Louds and their friends returned to the mainland, they started to help prepare for the upcoming Splatfest. With a team of four again, Lincoln and the Citrus Bloopers continue to train for the upcoming special event. Luna helped the Squid Sisters, and Off the Hook for their Splatfest concert, by providing them assistance with sound equipment and sorting playlists of their songs. Lori, Bobby, and Leni helped the store clerks provide the polls and the merchandise designs in support of the Citrus Bloopers. The rest of the Loud Sisters, Clyde, and the Santiago Siblings, all helped by getting more Inklings and Octolings to join in support of the Citrus Bloopers. Lynn wanted to help somehow, until she got an idea.

One day, Lynn took Lincoln to a small arena that wasn't much turf to ink. This arena had the same square footage as the elevator from before. This is the kind of arena that would help battlers take down their opponents. "Are you sure you want to do this Lynn?" Lincoln asked. "I already told you I forgive you." Lynn gets her newly equipped range blaster ready and says, "I know, but I was holding back a bit because you weren't yourself. Now that you're okay, I want to see what you can do." Lincoln smiled, "Alright, if you insist."

After Lynn prepared her good luck rituals, she was ready to fight. "Wanna ring the bell, Apollo?" Lynn asked. Lincoln nodded, "Alright. Ding, ding." Lincoln takes to the arena and gives Lynn everything he's got. He starts with claiming turf surrounding himself, then goes after Lynn. Lynn tried to hit Lincoln, but he wouldn't give her a chance.

He uses all his special abilities from the jetpack, to the tenta-missles, to the splatdown. And almost every time, Lynn got splatted by her brother. But she improves by changing her tactics. Sometimes, she gets an advantage and splats Lincoln. But, Lincoln always finds a way by coming up with a quick plan.

After ten minutes of splatting each other, Lincoln calls it off. "So, wanna keep going? Or have you had enough energy for today?" Lynn breathed as heavy as she did playing sports. "Nah, I've pushed all I can today," she said. "You're a great battler, Lincoln. The freshest around." Lincoln smiled and prepared to chest bump Lynn. Until he faked it and said, "Two for flinching." Then he friendly punched Lynn twice on the arm.

In Inkopolis Square, the Inklings and Octolings were preparing for Splatfest tomorrow. Lincoln and Lynn were walking in town to see the progress everyone is making. There were stage catwalks everywhere, a stage was being set above the entrance of Deca Tower, and people were wearing orange and light purple in support of the team they're backing up.

"Ya'll know what time it is!" said Pearl. "It's Off the Hook coming at you live from Inkopolis Square." said Marina. "We're just a few hours away until Splatfest begins!" cheered Pearl. "That's right, Pearl," said Marina. "Tonight, we planned to host the opening ceremony. We'll be starting off with performing one of our songs, then introducing the final two teams in this year's Splatfest."

While Lincoln and Lynn listen in on Off the Hook, a mysterious figure appears behind them. "I gotta hand it to you, kid. You are full of surprises." Lincoln looks behind him to see a group of two Inklings and two Octolings. The first Octoling is revealed to be a girl with tentacurl hairstyle. Her signature ink color is purple and her skin is caucasian. Her attire consists of full moon glasses, a Purple Berry ski jacket, tight capri sweatpants, and grey arrow pull-ons. The second Octoling is a boy with a mix of a punk hairstyle and buzzcut. His signature ink color is blue and his skin is light brown. His attire consists of Octo-shades, a blue peaks t-shirt, grey cargo shorts, and Octo-boots.

One of the Inklings is revealed to be a boy with a topknot hairstyle. His signature ink color is turquoise and his skin is tan. His attire consists of designer headphones, firewave tee, black denim shorts, and cyan trainers. The other Inkling is also a boy but with spiky hair. His signature ink color is bright red with light brown skin. His attire consists of an HTR mecha head, an anchor black t-shirt, drawstring cargo pants, and black trainers.

As the first Octoling walked up and offered a handshake, Lincoln smiled and accepted it. "Thanks, uhh.." "Sonia Clypse," said the Octoling. "But, my friends call me Sunny." She points to her friends behind them. "This is Sam, aka "Smokey", our pro-roller. Eddie, aka "Engie", our expert range blaster, and Pete, aka "Plopper", our heavy sprayer. "I, myself, happen to be good with a charger," said Sunny.

"What brings you guys here?" Lynn asked. "Just wanted to see one of our opposing teammates before we go against each other," said Smokey. "Aye, Inkopolis calls us laddies, the Goober Tubers," said Engie. "We trained day in and day out for this," said Plopper. "We just want to make sure that there won't be any hard feelings," said Sunny. "Why?" asked Lincoln. "Because our team tends to get a little over our heads when we play," said Plopper. "Let's just say, last time someone beat us by a few percentage points, Engie went ballistic," said Sunny. "Aye told ya lads, I had a lot to drink from Crusty's," said Engie. "And I keep telling you to pace yourself," said Smokey.

"Well in any case, may the best team win," said Lincoln. "Be careful what you wish for," said Sunny. "We'll see," said Lynn. "They seemed okay," said Lincoln. "Yeah, but don't let your guard down," said Lynn. Then, Lincoln's phone goes off and reads a message from the Bloopers telling him to meet him backstage. "Gotta go Lynn, it's time." said Lincoln. "Don't forget, your family is rooting for you, every step of the way," said Lynn. The two part ways just as sunset arrived.

Darkness falls on Inkopolis, when suddenly colorful lights fill the city. Splatfest has officially begun. Inkopolis Square shined like a christmas tree with orange and light purple lights. Fireworks were being shot from the roofs of the buildings. The Great Zapfish glowed with pride, giving the citizens of Inkopolis as much power as it can provide. The citizens wore orange and light purple attires. They flew banners, flags and ribbons in the air to support their teams.

(_Color Pulse - Off the Hook_)

Pearl and Marina make a surprising entrance, bringing the crowd joy and excitement. "Ya'll feeling fresh out there?!" said Pearl. The crowd cheered and cheered, as Off the Hook announced the beginning of Splatfest. "Today, we are down to two teams who have remained on top of the popularity charts," said Marina. At that moment, The Citrus Bloopers and the Goober Tubers walk on different sides of the stage. "On the left, we have the Citrus Bloopers: Citra, Del, Ruta, and Lincoln!" The Loud Sisters and their friends cheered the loudest for Lincoln. "On the right, we have the Goober Tubers: Sunny, Smokey, Engie, and Plopper!"

"Before we begin the competition, I think we deserve a chance to play one of our songs," said Pearl. "And remember…" The two friends strike their poses and say, "Don't get cooked, Stay Off the Hook!" The crowd cheered as Pearl and Marina performed on stage with both teams dancing beside them. They played their song, Color Pulse, and all of Inkopolis danced and jumped to the music and sang along with them.

(_Color Pulse Ends_)

As the song came to an end, both teams took their attention to the monitor. "Alright teams, here's how this is going down," said Marina. The monitor shows the schedule for this year's Splatfest. "Today, you will be competing in one round of Clam Blitz and Rainmaker," said Pearl. "Tomorrow, you'll compete in one round of Tower Control and Splat Zone. There will be a special halftime concert hosted by the Squid Sisters after tomorrow's games."

"And finally," said Marina. "You will compete in one round of turf war in one of the special arenas that many of our fans have created." "At the end of the competition, we will tally up the victories, the popularity votes, and the final Turf War match," said Pearl. "We will also celebrate the end of Splatfest with a grand concert!"

Both teams look to the crowd with cheers and applause, then look to each other with smiles of anticipation. "Let's get ready, and start the first round!" said Pearl. The two teams enter Deca Tower and prepare for the first round of Splat fest. Lynn practices her good luck rituals in honor of her brother, "Just sprinkling some good fortune to you Lincoln. Good luck."

The Citrus Bloopers and the Goober Tubers arrived at Mussleforge Fitness for the Clam Blitz match. The rules were simple: Gather ten clams, throw them in the opposing teams net, and throw extra clams while the barrier's open. What the Bloopers didn't know was that Clam Blitz was Smokey's favorite game. He rolled over the Bloopers just as they were about to get up to ten clams. With only a minute left, the Tubers achieved victory.

The Citrus Bloopers were exhausted from running around, breathing heavily. "Okay, that was tough," said Del. "Well this was a tough start," said Citra. "I bet Lynn would've loved that sport," said Lincoln. "Let's not feel bad guys, we still got another match against them," said Ruta. The team looked at each other and smiled.

In the second round, both teams arrived at Port Mackerel for Rainmaker. The main objective to win Rainmaker is to simply deliver the weapon to the opposing team's side. Lincoln felt like it was their version of Capture the Flag. Lincoln smiled at Del and came up with a quick plan to win the round. Citra and Ruta took care of Engie, Smokey, and Plopper. But Sunny, being an expert marksman got both of them. Del and Lincoln had to act fast, so Lincoln called for the Charge-n-Roll move to get past Sunny. Del shot Lincoln close enough to reach the end, just as Sunny shot him. But she wasn't fast enough when Lincoln slammed the Rainmaker on their mark, claiming victory for the Citrus Bloopers.

Back in Inkopolis Square, the citizens of Inkopolis watched with excitement as Pearl and Marina narrated the whole competition. "And it looks like we have one victory for each team, Pearl!" Marina cheered. "That's right Marina, and with the popularity charts slowly rising, this could be a close result," said Pearl.

The next day, both teams regrouped at Deacon Tower with Pearl and Marina. "Welcome back to Day two of Splatfest!" Pearl announced. "Today, we will continue the tournament and then move on to the Halftime show," said Marina. Lincoln and Sunny shake hands and both teams enter the Deca Tower again.

The next challenge is known as the Splat Zone. Basically both teams try to claim a spot of turf for a short amount of time. This match was located at Inkblot Art Academy. It was no problem with the Citrus Bloopers. As Lincoln and Citra claimed the turf, Ruta and Del fought against the Tubers. The Bloopers claimed victory with ease.

The final challenge for the day that both teams were prepared for, was called Tower Control. The main objective of the game is to ride the tower to the opposing team's side. The match was located at Wahoo World. Plopper and Engie proved themselves to be strong on Tower Control. Plopper remained on the tower while Engie helped escort the tower to the Bloopers side of the arena. The Goober Tubers victory was sealed, but the Bloopers didn't back down, even when victory was in their grasp.

Back in Inkopolis Square, the Citrus Bloopers and The Goober Tubers took the time to chat with each other. "This is turning out to be a great Splatfest," said Plopper. "There's jus one last round to bo tomorrow laddies," Engie slurred while drinking an energy drink. "Geez Engie, pace yourself," said Smokey. "You gotta stay focused when you're on the field." "I get completely focused when I drink," said Engie.

Lincoln looks over to Del and Sunny talking like they know each other. "They sure are getting along well," said Lincoln. "That's because Sunny is Del's younger sister," said Citra. "Really?" Lincoln asked. Ruta nodded, "That's not all, she was adopted by Del's parents and used to be a part of our team."

Ruta began to tell her tale, "As far as I can remember, Del and Sunny were very close when they were young. Whichever one of them was in trouble, the other was there for them. When Del got to an age when he could start battling, Sunny felt sad. But, Del promised her if he was ever in a permanent team, he'll reserve a spot for her. When she got old enough, Del and Sunny were more happy than before. The two worked well together."

Lincoln smiled during the story, "So why did she leave?" Ruta continued, "By the time Citra left for her mission to recover the Great Zapfsh, Sunny got the attention of other Inklings and Octolings. She liked the idea of becoming a team captain to her group. But she didn't want to make Del upset."

That's when Del and Sunny walked up, "That's when I told her the most important thing that we learned. To listen to your heart." Sunny smiled, "After I decided to become a team captain, I hugged my brother and Ruta goodbye, and assembled a team of my own." Del hugs Sunny, "And I have never been more proud of her leading a team of her own."

Lincoln's sisters were happy, overhearing the whole story, that they hugged their brother too. "AW YEAH!" Pearl shouted. "The halftime concert has officially begun! Give it up for the Squid Sisters!" The citizens of Inkopolis look to the stage and see Callie and Marie give off their Stay Fresh poses. "Stay Fresh!" they shouted.

(_Calamari Inkantation - Squid Sisters_)

The Squid Sisters sang and danced for the rest of the night, with all of Inkopolis Square celebrating. Del and Sunny were copying the Squid Sisters dance routine, eventually getting everyone else's attention. They maneuvered themselves to the front of Deca Tower and the crowd constantly cheered for their performance. Callie and Marie were impressed that they invited them on stage and danced with them. Many of the Inklings grew jealous of being up close with the Squid Sisters.

(_Calamari Inkantation ends_)

The final day of Splatfest has arrived, and everyone is pumped up to see the final event of the festival. The Grand Turf War, the final event, until the results are in. "Inklings and Octolings! Boys and girls of all ages!" Marina announced, "We are now entering the final round of the Splatfest championship!" The crowd cheered nonstop for the beginning of the end. Both teams look to the jumbotron to see their location. "In this year's stage chosen for this Splatfest, was made by Lisa Loud. It's Wayslide Cool, now with rails."

Lincoln smiled at the mention of Lisa's involvement with constructing the Splatfest stage. "I've added new surprises on the stage," said Lisa. "Some tricks and traps that you will find very useful." Lincoln takes a knee to hug Lisa. "Can't wait to see what you created Lisa," said Lincoln.

The rest of the Loud Sisters, Clyde, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby, gather around Lincoln for last minute encouragement. "You literally got this Lincoln," siad Lori. "I'm rockin' out for you bro," said Luna. Lynn walks up and offers him a handshake, which Lincoln accepts. "You don't need luck to know you've come this far," she said. "You have the skills, the heart, the plan, and our support." Lincoln hugs his sisters, gives Ronnie Anne, Clyde, and Bobby high fives, and joins his team to the final stage.

Both teams spawn on opposite sides of the arena. They prep their weapons and prepare for the greatest match of their lives. The buzzer goes off, and the teams start claiming turf. Del took to higher ground to keep an eye on his team mates. Ruta rolled her way down the slopes and made her way to the center of the stage. Lincoln and Citra took to the rails and claimed turf while grinding them.

The Tubers were not far behind them, for they too were on a roll. Smokey kept rolling on unclaimed turf until he came into contact with Ruta. Engie took to the rails, blasting heavy shots of ink. "Don't fret boyo, I'll be gentle!" he cried. Plopper took his weapon and sprayed ink wherever he could. "Say hello to my little friend!" he cried. Sunny took to the high ground the same as Del and looked to her brother. "This is where it all ends," she said.

Both teams gave it their all and didn't back down. Del kept watch on his teammates and continued to hit the Tubers. Sunny got his attention and proceeded to try to splat their sniper. Del realized that Sunny was planning something, so he leaves his position and moves in with his team. Before he knew it, he and Sunny stood toe to toe with each other. Del and Sunny smile as they pull the trigger splatting each other at the same time.

With only one minute left on the clock, Lincoln signaled Del with the Charge-N-Roll technique again. Del fires Lincoln over the three occupied opponents, and he sprays ink across the Tuber's side. The Tubers take their attention to Lincoln and splat him to reclaim their home side. Their shift of attention allowed the Citrus Bloopers to advance.

As Lincoln respawned, Sunny aimed carefully and splattered his teammates. Lincoln had to rush as fast as he could and took out Smokey and Plopper. Engie, fueled with energy from the drinks, activated his special ability with throwing splat bombs. But he missed Lincoln everywhere he threw his bombs. Lincoln swam to his side and splattered him too.

With only 25 seconds left, Lincoln activated his special ability, the Booyah Blast. His teammates swam as fast as they could until they saw Lincoln charging his blast. They constantly shout, "Booyah!" quickening the pace of Lincoln's ability. As the Tubers respawn and grouped with Sunny, Lincoln threw his blast near them and took them all out.

With only five seconds left the Citrus Bloopers started to regain their lost home turf and moved on to the opposing side. Until they hear the buzzer indicating that time's up. The Citrus Bloopers took deep breaths, relieved that the last match was over. Both teams regrouped back to Deca Tower to begin the closing ceremonies.

"That was one of the most amazing matches I have ever seen," said Pearl. "It looks like a close call," said Marina. "But it's up to the results to see who is the Champion of Splatfest." Both teams make their way on the stage with Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters. "Congratulations on competing in Splatfest!" cried Callie. "In Inkopolis' point of view, you could all be winners," said Marie. "But in the end, one team stands triumphant."

The citizens of Inkopolis look up to the jumbotron to see the results. "First, let's see which team received the most popularity." The jumbotron jumbled the numbers, raising the tensions of both teams. As the results slowed down, the results show that the Citrus Bloopers have received a 51% victory in the popularity polls. "And it looks like the Citrus Bloopers won the popularity point!" said Callie. "But as we all know, popularity isn't everything." said Marina.

The jumbotron switches to the victories in the four matches in the first days in Splatfest. "Here are the results of the four battles played," said Pearl. The jumbotron showed a tie in tallying the number of victories. "It looks like both teams tie in the wins," said Callie. "To break this tiebreaker, we'll need the best play shot captured to break this tie breaker," said Marie. The jumbotron looks over screenshots, only to stop on the Goober Tuber's best shot from their loss in Rainmaker. It shows Sunny splatting Ruta while Citra prepares to get splattered by Engie. "Looks like the Goober Tuber's take the victory over the four games," said Marina.

"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for," Pearl began. "The results of the turf war! This final match will decide the winning team!" Judd looks carefully at the stage to see the final results. As Judd finished tallying up the results, the jumbotron brought up the jumping numbers to raise tensions again. The Louds and their friends held their breath for the final result. Judd prepares to draw out the winning flag, "And the winner of this Splatfest is…"

Judd pulls out the winning flag, showing the Citrus Bloopers winning the turf war by 11.3%. At that moment, the Citrus Bloopers realized that they won. "The Citrus Bloopers!" cried Callie. The crowd cheered and the Citrus Bloopers walked up to the center stage with happiness. Lincoln, Citra, Ruta, and Del looked with joy and relief, knowing that all their hard work and time put into Splatfest, has all been worth it.

The Bloopers look back to the Tubers, who were a little bummed out at losing. But Del walked up to them and brought them upstage as a sign of recognition of giving them an outstanding competition. The Tubers smiled and shook hands with their opponents. "It's your time," said Plopper.

The Squid Sisters bring out a gold trophy to give to the Citrus Bloopers. As they received their trophy, Callie gives Del a kiss on the cheek. Lincoln looks to his sisters and friends and looks up to the sky. "Lincoln! You did it!" cried Citra. "No, we did it. Together!" replied Lincoln.

Lincoln's sisters gather around Lincoln and hug him like there was no tomorrow. "That was like, totally amazing Linky," said Leni. "You were amazing!" Lana shouted. "What a joyous occasion," said Lucy. Ronnie Anne walks up and hugs Lincoln, surprising the orange Inkling. "You did a fantastic job, Lincoln," she said. "Thanks Ronnie Anne," replied Lincoln. "That was stupendous work Lincoln!" cried Clyde. "You've got to show me those moves one day."

"Now, for our final act of the night, a few citizens of Inkopolis have worked together to make this song," said Marina. "This one goes out to quote, 'the best dang brother, ever,'" Lincoln looks over to Marina as she plays the tape. The tape plays and the Loud Sisters and their friends appear on stage.

(_The Best Dang Brother Anywhere Around - Loud Sisters and Friends_)

_Lincoln Loud, Lincoln Loud_

_The best dang brother anywhere around_

_Lincoln Loud, Lincoln Loud_

_The best dang brother anywhere around_

**Lynn:** _He helped me get over all things unlucky_

**Lola:** _He helped make a new squid kid inside me_

**Leni:** _He helped save us from that Octopus thing_

**Lucy:** (spoken) I told you guys, I don't want to sing.

_Lincoln Loud, Lincoln Loud_

_The best dang brother anywhere around_

_Lincoln Loud, Lincoln Loud_

_The best dang brother anywhere around_

[Del]

_Your sisters told us that you went so far_

_To help them out, you're a fresh rockstar_

_Everyone has had their fun_

_The song is over so we gotta_

_RUN!_

Lincoln took those lyrics to heart, and rocked on with his family. "And now, to wrap up Splatfest," said Pearl. "Here's a parting song as you all return home safely." Marina turns on another song as the fireworks wrap up and streamers fall on the street. The last song of Splatfest was none other than the song Lincoln and Ronnie Anne danced to.

(_Fresh Start - The Squid Sisters_)

The Squid Sisters take to the stage and dance to the song that Lincoln felt blissful about. Throughout his journey, he wanted to get away from what happened to him all those months ago. Throughout his journey, he felt like he was given a fresh start. A clean slate, where no one judged him because of how bad things get. Lincoln had it all, and looked to the sky. He takes out an old piece of paper, which happens to be his old missing persons poster. He tears it up, tosses it into the wind, which happened to lead directly into one of the trash cans.

Lincoln, Del, and Citra danced beside Callie. While Ronnie Anne, Bobby, Lori, and Ruta danced beside Marie. The rest of them jumped to the beat, hummed the tune, or swung side to side. As they danced the night away, the citizens of Inkopolis started to leave the square until there were only a few left. Which included Judd, Captain Cuttlefish, and the Goober Tubers.

(_Fresh Start ends_)

With Splatfest at an end, the Bloopers, the Loud Sisters, and their friends from home and Inkopolis, made their way back to the apartment. "We did good Lincoln," said Del. "None of this would've been possible without you Del," said Lincoln. "But, I'm just a charger," said Del. "No, you're not," said Citra. "You are Team Captain." This statement made Del surprised. "Don't pity me," said Citra. "I was hardly there with our team the whole time. But you kept our team together like the leader you are." Citra takes her team captain pin off her shirt and places it on Del's hat. "Congratulations, Captain," said Sunny. Del smiled and hugged his friends, "Thank you all."

As the night grew late, the residents in the Bloopers' apartment grew quiet. The Squid Sisters, Captain Cuttlefish, and the Goober Tubers left for home. The Bloopers, The Loud Siblings, and their friends, all fell asleep in the common area, with the golden winning trophy sitting on an empty shelf with pride.

**And that's that! Lincoln Loud, and the Citrus Bloopers have won Splatfest! Now all that's left is for Lincoln, his sisters, and his friends to return home to Royal Woods. I can honestly say, this is by far the best story I have ever come up with. I got a feeling that my last chapter is going to be very emotional. Until then, Stay Fresh! Don't get Cooked, Stay Off the Hook!**


	15. The Final Splat!

The next morning, Inkopolis grew quiet again. Much more quiet than usual, because everyone was still at home relaxing after another successful Splatfest. For the Citrus Bloopers, they weren't at home at all. Inside the apartment, the common area was cleaned up of any messes. The lights were off and the door was locked. Inside Del and Lincoln's room, Lincoln's map of Inkopolis was taken down and thrown away. His sleeping bag was packed up back in Del's closet, and Del's stuffed sea urchin was packed up too.

Inside the Deepsea Metro Central Station, the Louds, the Santiagos, Clyde, the Citrus Bloopers, the Goober Tubers, the Kraken Krackers, the Squid Sisters, and Captain Cuttlefish were all gathered at the portal to say goodbye. The Tubers, except for Sunny, left the station along with the Krackers. "Are you sure this takes us back to Royal Woods?" Lincoln asked Lisa. "I'm positive, dear brother," she replied. "I have tested it on myself when I first got here. So I am sure this will take us home." Clyde walks up to the portal, turns his head to the Inklings and says, "Thank you for looking after my best friend."

Clyde jumps into the portal, returning to Royal Woods. Bobby and Ronnie Anne were the next group of people to go. Bobby and Lori hugged each other once again, knowing that when they return home, they'll be in a long distance relationship again. "I'm gonna miss the time we spent here Boo-boo bear," said Lori. "I'll see you on the other side." "Me too babe, I'll be waiting for you until you do," said Bobby. Ronnie Anne walked up to Lincoln and said, "Take as much time as you need. We'll be waiting for you." Lincoln and Ronnie Anne fist bump each other. "Thanks, Ronnie Anne," said Lincoln. Bobby and Ronnie Anne join hands and jump into the portal after looking back at the Inklings one last time.

Most of the Loud sisters waved goodbye and jumped in. The only ones left were Lori, Luna, and Lynn. Lori walked up to Captain Cuttlefish with a smile on her face. "Thank you so much for saving my brother," she said. "It was nothing," said Captain Cuttlefish. "It's what folk like us do. We look out for those who are younger than us. To guide them through thick and thin." Lori looks back at Lincoln and the two smile at each other. "I'll never let you go again, Lincoln." Lori makes her way to the portal and jumps in.

Luna looks over to the Squid Sisters to ask them one final question, "How did you two get to be so famous?" Marie smiled, "It all started when we won Inkopolis' first annual Youth Folk-Singing Contest. We moved to Inkopolis and began our announcing career." "Ever since then, we began writing new songs, and more people grew to like our talents," said Callie. "Never stop doing the things you love." Luna looked to Lincoln and smiled, "I'll never stop being a good sister to my siblings." Luna shakes the two Inklings hands and jumps into the portal.

Lynn smiles at the Citrus Bloopers and looks at their trophy. "Best trophy I've ever seen," she said. "And that's coming from a girl who's gotten a trophy in every sport." The Bloopers laugh at her statement. "We're really glad things are good between you and Lincoln," said Ruta. Lynn looks to Lincoln and smiles ear to ear. "Things are going to change for the better," said Lynn. "I won't forget what happened all those months ago. That way, I'll make sure something like that never happens again." "You won't be doing it alone," said Del. "Because you've got the best team of all: your family." Lynn and Lincoln fist bump as she jumps into the portal. "Last one in is a soft-shell, bro!"

Lincoln looks to the Inklings with a heavy heart. Citra walks up to say, "And to think, all this started when you saved me from dehydration." "I'd never let any creature on the planet suffer like I did," said Lincoln. "I think Lynn won't be treating you like anything less anymore." said Ruta. "I can't change Lynn, more than she can change me," said Lincoln. "It's in the past, but now we are moving forward." "Because that's what makes you a stronger person," said Del. Callie walks up and takes Del's hand, looking into his eyes. Marie just rolled hers, 'Typical Callie,' she thought. "Now that you know how to get here, maybe you'll come back again someday?" Callie asked. Lincoln nodded, "Someday, maybe during the summer time."

Del takes the trophy and brakes off the small globe attached to a stick. Lincoln was confused, "Wait, isn't it yours?" Del shook his head, "No, it's ours. And you deserve a piece for the journey home." He places the trophy on Lincoln's braid, which made him upset. As much as he wanted to stay, he has a family back home who is worried sick about him. Del puts his hand on his shoulder, "You take care of them," he said. "Because you are the spirit that keeps the Loud family together."

Del looks down with sadness, realizing how much he bonded with Lincoln, hurts him knowing he had to let him go. Lincoln looks to the Citrus Bloopers, and hugs them tightly. The team takes one last group hug, as Callie, Marie, and Captain Cuttlefish start to tear up. "We will miss you, dear brother." said Del. As the group breaks off the hug one by one, Citra was the last one to let go. "Thank you again, for saving my life." she said. "You're welcome, again," said Lincoln.

As the group prepares to leave the station, Lincoln looks back to his friends and calls them out, "Hey guys!" The Inklings look back at Lincoln. " Jump! Dodge! Splat real high! Our team will reach the sky!" Del, Ruta, and Citra smile with pride, "CITRUS BLOOPERS FOREVER!" they shouted. Lincoln smiled and jumped into the pool, leaving his team off with a smile.

On the other side, Lincoln popped out of the watering hole he slipped in from the start. He looks down to see that he's back in his swimsuit. He feels his entire head and realizes he's human again. But in his hair, was his braid that he made, and the piece of the trophy along with it. Lincoln smiles, knowing that what happened wasn't a dream. But then comes up with a shocking thought, 'How long was I gone?'

Outside the cove, he finds his sisters and friends waiting for him. He smiles and rushes over to hug them. "We're home!" said Lana. "Yeah, but how long have we been away?" Clyde asked. "Approximately, one month, two weeks, and four days," replied Lisa. Lincoln was shocked, "I've been gone for almost six months!" "Considering you were missing longer than we are," said Luan. "What makes you say that?" Lucy asked. Luan tears off a paper that was posted on a telephone pole. The kids were shocked to see a new missing persons poster was published, but this showed a group instead of one person. "Guess our absence has caused too much attention," said Luna.

The group leaves the beach, and walk up the hill, to see a van driving up to the parking lot. "Bobby, isn't that your family's bodega van?" Lori asked. Bobby looks closer to see the family logo on the side. "Yes!" he cried, "I recognize our family logo anywhere!" Bobby and Ronnie Anne rush down calling out to their family.

At the same time, Rosa, Hector and the others climb out with sadness. Rosa bawls in tears, accepting the inevitable. "They were so young!" she cried. Maria was quiet from the journey over. Her brother, Carl Sr. gently placed his hand on her shoulder. His kids, Carl, Carlota, CJ, and Carlitos, get out with gloom faces.

Just then, CJ looks at the top of the hill, and sees the group. At first he didn't know who they were, but after a few seconds, and heard his cousins screaming, "Guys! Familia!" CJ had a smile on his face, "It's Bobby and Ronnie Anne! They're back!" He races up the hill with joy and excitement.

The Casagrandes jumped at his reaction, and saw where he was running. They too, were overjoyed to see Bobby and Ronnie Anne. Maria gasped, seeing her only children made her cry with relief. They run toward the hill and give the Santiago children a family hug.

"Oh thank goodness, you two are okay!" said Hector. "I was so worried we'd have to put your pictures on the ofrenda," said Rosa. "I kept contact with the spirit world to guide you to safety." "We were worried you may not have come back at all," cried Frida. "After Carlota called us, we called the police," said Carl Sr. "They tried looking for you and your friends in that watering hole, but they couldn't fit through. And when they failed sending underwater drones in the hole, they told us and everyone else to accept the inevitable."

Maria walked to her children and hugged them tight. "It was hard for me to accept the inevitable," she said. "But I couldn't do it. I knew that you two would be alive, and you were!" Bobby and Ronnie Anne hugged their mother tightly. "We're so sorry, mom," said Bobby. "We'll never leave you again," said Ronnie Anne.

"But you'll never guess who I found!" She points over to the Loud siblings, and Clyde. Maria was shockingly impressed. Even more shocked when she saw Lincoln in the group. "You found them all?!" she asked. "No, Mrs. Santiago," said Lincoln. "She found me, but it was I who found them," Maria was confused, "I don't understand." Lincoln smiled, "It's a long story. A story you wouldn't believe."

"I'm so glad you're all okay," said Hector. "Let's get you all home, your parents are very worried." Lori looked in the parking lot to see that Vanzilla was gone. "Did they tow away Vanzilla?" she asked. "The police must've taken it ever since you disappeared," said Carl Sr. "It's back at your house though, safe and sound." "We can give you a ride there," said Frida. "It would be our pleasure."

But before they could, Leni remembered something and took out Lincoln's signature clothes from her backpack. The one she accidentally left behind after trying to rescue Lincoln in the beginning. Lincoln takes to the dressing room and puts on his old clothes. 'Just like old times,' he thought.

The Casagrande family, the Loud siblings, and Clyde hop in the back and Hector drives them through Royal Woods. Lincoln breathes in looking in the back window of the Casagrande van. He smiles as he looks to every street, every building, every place he's ever been to. Luna finds a guitar in the back and thinks about playing a song. "Hey Mr. Casagrande, do you mind if I play a song?" Hector smiles, "Sure, just try not to break the guitar."

(_I will always return - Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron_)

Luna takes the guitar and strums on the strings. After finding the right notes, she starts to sing. "_I hear, The wind, Call my name. The sound, That leads, Me home again. It sparks up a fire, A flame that still burns. To you I will always return._ _I know the road is long. But where you are is home. Wherever you stay, I'll find the way. I'll run like the river I'll follow the sun I'll fly like an eagle To where I belong. I can't stand the distance, I can't dream alone, I can't wait to see you, Yes, I'm on my way home. _" For the long ride home from the beach to the Loud residence, Luna kept on singing .

Their first stop was at the Santiago family's old house. Ronnie Anne suggested she stop there because she wanted to get something. As she got out, Lincoln followed her. "What is it you wanted to show me?" he asked. Ronnie Anne gets a package that was carefully hidden in the bushes to avoid thieves. "I got you a package, just in case you ever came back home," she replied. "Open it," As he did, Lincoln gets a pie full of face. He fell for another one of Ronnie Anne's pranks. The others laughed at the result, so did Lincoln. "Don't ever disappear again, Lame-O," said Ronnie Anne. "I promise," said Lincoln.

While they were laughing, three boys walked up to see what the fuss was about. They saw Lincoln and Ronnie Anne laughing, which brought them tears in their eyes. "LINCOLN!" they cried. Lincoln looked over and was happy to see them. "Rusty! Liam! Zach" Clyde came out and the five friends were reunited. "Where in the world have you been Lincoln?" asked Rusty. "Or did you come from a different world?" asked Zach. "Actually, Zach, I was in a different world," replied Lincoln. "But we have to go home, our parents must be worried," said Clyde.

As they got in the van, Rusty, Liam, and Zach called out, "We're going to take down all your missing persons posters while you do!" The Casagrandes drove off when Lincoln said, "Thanks Guys!" The next stop was Clyde's house. As they stopped, Hector honked his horn and Clyde jumped out calling his fathers.

Curious at what the noise was, Howard and Harold Mcbride look outside to see their dear son in the front yard. Overwhelmed with joy, the two dads exit the house and embrace their son. "Clyde! I thought we would never see you again!" said Howard. "You really had us worried, son! We thought we would lose you, like with what happened to Lincoln," said Harold. "Dads, I can assure you I'm okay," said Clyde. "And so is Lincoln."

Clyde points to Lincoln, and the two were so happy to see their son's best friend again. "Lincoln! Thank goodness you're okay," said Harold. "Clyde was having trouble with you being gone, even Dr. Lopez had a difficult time getting through to him." Lincoln expressed guilt on his face and said, "I'm so sorry guys, but all that matters is that we're home again." The Mcbrides smiled, "You're right, Lincoln."

Clyde and Lincoln bid goodbye, "See you at school again, Clyde," said Lincoln. "Don't disappear like before Lincoln," said Clyde. "We'll try to contact your parents," said Howard. "They've been quiet ever since you and your sisters disappeared." Lincoln nodded, "Thanks Mr. Mcbrides." The Casagrande's drive off with the Mcbrides waving goodbye. "I'm so glad that our son is okay!" Howard cheered. "Now Dad, remember Dr. Lopez said not to get too emotional," said Clyde. "Oh let him, son," said Harold. "Today's an exception."

As the Casagrande's drive near Lincoln's street, Lincoln asks them to drop them off near their street. "Are you sure, Lincoln?" asked Maria. "I want to see what's changed in the neighborhood while I was gone," said Lincoln. "Don't worry, Mrs. Santiago," said Lori. "We'll make sure we get home." Ronnie Anne and Bobby look to their mother in assuring her this is what they want, and she nods in acceptance. "It's great to have you back, Lincoln Loud."

Lincoln nods and the Loud sisters make their way out of the van. All except for Lincoln and Lori, who share one more goodbye with Bobby and Ronnie Anne. "I'm gonna miss you, Boo-boo Bear. I'm glad we went through this adventure together," said Lori. "Me too babe," said Bobby. "And I'm glad Lincoln is finally home."

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln look at each other smiling. "I'm going to miss you Ronnie Anne," said Lincoln. "I'm glad you found me." He offers her a handshake, but Ronnie Anne just hugs him tightly. "Me too, Lincoln. Me too," she said. Lincoln returns the hug, and eventually lets go. Lori and Lincoln exit the van, and the Louds walk the rest of the way.

Not wanting to spend another minute apart, Lincoln started running to their house with his sisters right behind him. Luna continued to sing her song along the run home, "_Now I know it's true, My every road leads to you. And in the hour of darkness, Your light gets me through. You run like the river, You shine like the sun, Yeah. You fly like an eagle, Yeah, you are the one. I see every sunset, And with all that I've learned. Oh, is to you, I will always, Always return._"

The Loud siblings grow closer and closer, until finally they reach home. Lincoln stood in front of his house with joy and relief. All his hard work, all the time he put in searching, was a success. He fell to his knees in tears, covering his face. His sisters gathered around him and cried along with him. The next thing that they heard was the front door of their house opening.

At the same time, inside the Loud House, Lynn Sr. and Rita were depressed beyond depressed. They hardly ever spoke to each other ever since their kids disappeared. And when the police told them to accept the inevitable, they started giving up hope. It was a miracle that they held onto their marriage ever since Lincoln disappeared.

The Loud's pets, Charles the dog, Walt the canary, Cliff the cat, and Geo the hamster, were all upset as well. Especially Charles, who felt like he failed the meaning, "Man's best friend," to Lincoln. Ever since the kids disappeared, the pets agreed to stay strong and remain loyal to the parents for as long as they can. Charles always goes outside to keep an ear and a nose out in case they ever come back.

While Charles went outside to use the backyard, he heard distant singing. At that moment, he recognized the voice. He rushed into the house to get the other pets attention, and they raced to the door. Lynn Sr. and Rita were sitting in the living room, watching TV. "Charles," Lynn Sr. complained. "I told you if you want to go out, go out...the…" When Lynn Sr. got close to the door, he started to hear crying outside. He opens the door to see an unimaginable image.

The Loud siblings look to see their pets race up to them, and their father standing in shock. Lincoln looks up with a smile on his face, "Dad. I'm home!" Lynn Sr. looks with tears of joy, finally speaks up, "Lincoln, I'm so sorry." Lincoln shook his head, he didn't care about the events before, all that mattered to him was that he's finally home. He races up to hug his father, with his daughters following him.

"RITA! LOOK!" Lynn Sr. called out. "MOM!" cried Lincoln. The sound of Lincoln's voice snapped Rita out of her state and rushed off to see all her children in one piece. "Lincoln! You're alive!" she cried. She joins in on the hug, hugging her son. The once broken quiet family was complete again. They stayed hugging each other for about ten minutes.

By the time they let go of their hug, their attention was grabbed by their neighbor, Mr. Grouse. "Hey Louds!" he cried. As they looked over to him, he smiled. "Welcome home!" Lynn Sr. looked to his son and asked him, "Where have you been all this time?" Lincoln smiled, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Rita hugged her son again, not wanting to lose him again, said, "Try us, Lincoln."

The Louds got inside and Lincoln started to tell his tale from the very beginning. For the rest of the night, he told his adventure to his family, not wasting a single minute of time. "And so, they gave me a piece of our trophy to remember the time we spent in Inkopolis." Lincoln takes off his piece of trophy from his braid and shows it to his parents. Concluding his story, Lynn Sr. and Rita hug their son again for the third time. "We are so proud of you, Lincoln," said Lynn Sr. "Just don't ever disappear on us ever again," said Rita.

Then, they hear a loud round of stomach growls across the living room, "Uh oh, guess we forgot to have dinner when we came home," said Lucy. Lynn Sr. gets into full throttle and prepares dinner. "Hope you guys are in the mood for my traditional Lynn-sagna!" The Loud kids cheered and ran straight into the dining room. The next thing they knew, they were gouging themselves in their father's recipe.

Later that night, the Louds were getting ready to go to bed. Lincoln takes his trophy piece, and his hair braid, and places it into the Loud family trophy case. Lynn appears behind him placing her arm around her brother. "Now that's what I call a trophy," she said. "Thanks Lynn," said Lincoln.

Lincoln proceeds upstairs and opens his bedroom door. The next thing he saw made him more happy. All of his stuff was brought back to his room; his toys, games, clothes, even his comic books. But what he didn't expect was that there were more Ace Savvy posters hanging on his wall. "We came through and got everything back the way it was supposed to be," said Lucy popping up behind him. "We even kicked in on extra Ace Savvy posters and comics," said Luna. "I even made this just for you," said Leni. She reveals an Ace Savvy costume around Lincoln's size and he smiles with leftover tears.

Lincoln takes his costume and hugs his sisters. "You guys are the best!" he cried. "Come on, Lincoln," said Lori. "We're gonna have a movie night in my room, tonight's your choice." Lincoln smiles, takes a movie from his room, and they all head into Lori and Leni's room. Lynn Sr. and Rita soon joined their children on their movie night. "Welcome home, Lincoln," said his parents. "Thanks, Mom and Dad," Lincoln replied.

One year later, the sun was shining on the Loud House. The summer breeze slowly shifts to autumn as the first day of school begins again for the Loud family. Lincoln, now 12 years old, wore an orange sweatshirt over a white t-shirt, and wore darker blue jeans and wore white shoes with orange stripes. His hair is a tad longer, but his traditional look remains the same.

He was working on what looked like a comic book until he heard Luna calling him. "Yo Lincoln! We're about to leave for school! Let's go!" Lincoln turned to Luna's voice and smiled. "I'm coming!" He closes his comic, takes his backpack, and heads out to Vanzilla. "Ready to start your first day of Middle School bro?" Lynn asked. "You know it, Lynn!" said Lincoln. Luna starts up the engine and drives the Loud siblings, sans Lori, off to school. In Lincoln's bedroom, the comic Lincoln was working on, tells the story of his grand adventure in Inkopolis. His cover title is named: A Loud Splat!

**And there we have it! The end of one of my best crossover stories ever! Lincoln and his family are finally together again. Sure the Louds are not perfect. They all make mistakes, constantly. Sometimes, they do stuff that annoys people. But in the end, the Louds always have each other. Nothing on Earth, or Inkopolis could ever come between them. And who knows, maybe Lincoln, his sisters, and his friends, will indeed meet their Inkling friends again one day. But that's another story. STAY FRESH! DON'T GET COOKED STAY OFF THE HOOK!**


End file.
